Mutation through the Eyes of the Mutated
by Proud to be an X-Nerd
Summary: The story of Cassandra McFaegan and her journey through the trials of Mutation, in a world that seeks to destroy her. Will she be able to overcome the many obsticles in her path? With the help of a group called the XMen, she might have a fighting chance.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own any of the Marvel characters in this story. I am not selling this story for personal gain, so I hope to offend no one.

On the other hand, the story and the character not associated with Marvel are my own. Please refrain from using them without my express (meaning you asked me directly) permission.

I thank you for your attention and I will leave you to it.

Oh, and this is one of my first Fan Fictions. So I am new to this scene. Please review and tell me what you think. I also welcome any constructive criticism that you can give me. I wish to improve my writing, and I would be grateful to anyone who can help me achieve that.

Mutation through the eyes of the Mutated

I'll never forget the day I found out I was a Mutant. It is forever burned into my memory as one of the best, and most horrible, days of my life. Looking back now, sometimes I wonder how I survived. A young girl, who was so completely naive, slapped in the face with the cruelty and stupidity of this world. Thrown into a dimension of pain and fear unlike any you can imagine unless you've been through the same. I'd like to think I did well, considering. Thanks to the help of people who cared.

I am getting ahead of myself I know. It is probably best that I start at the beginning; or at least a bit closer to it.

Hello. My name is Cassandra McFaegan, and I'm a Mutant.

This is my story.

_**ACT I: The Stage Is Set**_

**_Chapter 1_**

The day my life changed, started out like any other day for me. I opened my eyes to a windowed view of a beautifully sunny morning. It had been raining for the past few days, (not an unusual occurrence in Texas at this time of year) but that only served to make the bright days all the more welcome. Whether it was the sun, the cool weather, or just the fact that it was not raining, I woke up in a really good mood. Some people might think that is not that strange, but trust me, for me it is. You see, since my family died, I've had a really hard time waking up; in any mood. Sometimes, I'd stay the whole day in bed, if it was a weekend. My aunt would never have tolerated my missing school for what she called "Useless moping and feeling sorry for yourself." or she'd say "You should be grateful that you are still alive." While that may be true, it's not something you should say to someone who is hurting.

Now, I'm not going to tell you some sob story about how my Aunt Gertrude was some type of evil stepmother, and that I was forced to clean the chimneys for a few scraps of bread; because it was not like that. I had my own room, three good meals a day, and though I did not have many things, I had enough to live on. But I was missing one thing that at the time I needed most, and that was love. I know it sounds corny and all, but when you are feeling alone, there is nothing that makes life seem better than someone to talk to.

After my aunt had taken me in, I moved with her to the other side of the state. Which means I had to change schools and that I'd moved away from my friends. Not that I had this HUGE gaggle of them back home, I had always been a bit of a loner, but I had my fair share and I hated leaving them.

Anyway, back to my story. I practically jumped out of bed that day, and I ran to my window. Just to make sure that the sunlight shining through my window shades was real and not a mean joke the rain was playing on me. I hate the rain with a capital H. I love being able to go outside without a coat on, and to feel the warm breezes on my bear arms. Even since I was little, I loved to stand outside in the middle of nowhere and just forget where I was.

I got dressed as quickly and silently as I could. It was about 6:30am and I did not want to wake up my aunt if she was still sleeping. I brushed my teeth and slipped into my shoes before tiptoeing down the stairs. I snuck through the kitchen to grab an apple and breakfast bar from the fridge. Then I left a post-it-note on the board my aunt has, telling her that I had left early and not to worry about driving me to school, that I'd walk.

I made my way to the front door and just then, I heard her start moving around upstairs. I jumped the last few feet, yanked open the door and closed it as quietly as a rushing person can. I practically flew down the drive and across the street. I did not stop running until I had turned the corner; where there was a small wooded area, and was out of sight of the house; there I stopped to catch my breath. I was bent over, hands on my knees, trying to stop gasping and to calm my pounding heart. So I almost did not notice that I felt a little funny. My body was a little tingly and my palms and neck stung a little bit. It was the strangest sensation that I had ever experienced. At first I thought I might be having a stroke or a heart attack, you know, something deadly. But this was not really painful as much as it was… well… I can't really explain it, ticklish maybe. I thought that those things were suppose to hurt.

Before I could dwell on it, it began to fade; slowly, as if it were just seeping out of my body. And then it was gone. I waited for a moment, wondering if it would come back. When it didn't, I figured that it was just a part of hyperventilating from the running. So, unlike a person who has two brain cells to rub together, I did not go home or call for help. I just started walking towards school again, taking my sweet time. I could have been dying and no one would have been looking for me for hours. Didn't I say I was naïve and stupid? Well here is clue number one to that fact.

I walked along for a few minutes, just enjoying the sunshine. I could see my school from where I was standing when I felt like something wasn't right. I looked up at the sky, confusion in my eyes. Wasn't the sun a little high for 6:45am? It only took 10-15 minutes to get here. I pulled my watch out of my pocket; I had not had time to put it on, and gasped. It was 7:57am. Over an hour since I had started out.

"This is insane!" I was a little surprised to hear my own voice. But it was insane. There was NO WAY on earth that it had taken me this long to get here. I thought back to the time I had spent walking. I calculated that and it came out right. So where had all that time gone?

Then I thought back to when I was trying to catch my breath. I had only stood there for a few seconds, a minute at most. It was impossible that I had been standing there for an hour. Wouldn't my back have started aching by 15 minutes into that? I stretched a little, flexing my muscles, and my back was a little sore. How could I not have noticed that! It was then that I heard the bell ring, I realized that I was going to be late, the third time this week too. Aunt Gertrude was going to skin me alive.

For the second time that day I was running, as hard and as fast as I could push my legs I ran into the school yard. There were a few stragglers ahead of me, so I figured I had a chance of getting there before they marked me late. No such luck. By the time I had made it to my locker and then to homeroom, they had already started. I thought I might be able to slip in without them seeing me. But with the way my luck was going, the teacher saw me as I stepped over the threshold. And then, if that weren't enough bad luck, it was not Ms. Diana our normal teacher, it was Mr. Lidding, the substitute. Ms. Diana might have let me off with a tardy slip but there was no way Mr. Lidding would.

And sure enough, he didn't.

"Ah, Miss McFaegan. How nice of you to join us for class today." his high pitched, nasal voice had always made my skin crawl, but for some reason, today it hurt my skin. Like just his talking was making my skin burn and my head hurt. I opened my mouth to make an excuse but he held up a hand to silence me. "I do not have any inclination to hear you speak Cassandra. Will you please take a seat? And when school is out, please report to the principal's office." He then turned back to his papers as if the sight of me was too much for him.

I resisted the urge to reach out and smack his balding head; see if that would change the sour expression that always covered his face. Instead, I contented myself with thoughts of him in a pink tutu dancing to an orchestra. A smile played at the corners of my mouth, and I used my hand to cover it up. I did not want him thinking that I was laughing at his ruling, or he would get me into even deeper trouble with Principal George. I sank into my desk amid the snickers and giggles from my fellow classmates. I ignored them, which is what I normally do, and opened my book; praying that this day would go by faster than normal.


	2. Chapter 2

_Read the first chapter for the disclaimer_.

I hated the last chapter because it was much too short. I like this length much better. Hopefully I have the flow of things going now. Tell me your thoughts.

**_Chapter 2_**

And again, my bad luck held out on me. The day dragged on for an eternity, or at least it seemed to. I had forgotten my History paper that I had written, talk about embarrassing. At lunch, I spilled coke all over my light pink shirt, talk about humiliating. Then they surprised us with a pop quiz in Math, which I was sure I'd failed completely, I can't even think of an emotion for that. And I have to say it, math stinks. Sorry to all you math-loving-people out there, all three of you. But honestly, someone tell me, unless you're a scientist, a mathematician, or a computer programmer, are you REALLY going to use the Binary Number System? Umm? I'm waiting.

There, see. I rest my case.

So in case you hadn't guessed it, by the time I was heading toward Principal George's office, I was at the VERY end of my proverbial rope. Now, don't get me wrong, King George (as the school's kids call him) is not that bad. I mean as far as pompous, overbearing, school principals go. He is at least fair. So I could have been walking toward a fate much worse than the one I had.

I stepped into the office, and his secretary, Mrs. Lewis, motioned me toward a seat. I sat down, all the while trying to cover the huge stain on my shirt with my arms, which was pretty much impossible. Then I had to wait for about a half an hour in that freezing room before Mrs. Lewis nodded to me to go in. Standing up with a sigh, I tried to prepare myself for what I knew was coming.

His Majesty was sitting on his thrown going over some papers. (Probably execution warrants for other poor, simple serfs like me.) I stood there for another five minutes before he noticed me. No one ever seems to notice me until I've been there for a while, but he seemed a bit more distracted than normal. His eyebrows went up three inches on his forehead as he looked at me. I felt like a slab of meat under inspection. I rubbed the scar that ran down my arm, a nervous habit I've picked up, and stared at a space over his head. After a few minutes, I heard him sigh. It was a deep, you-will-be-the-death-of-me-sigh.

"Late again Miss McFaegan.?" he said slowly. Oh, another thing about His Magesty, he says everything…reallllllly…slllooowwwlllyyy. "I thought we talked about this last week."

I was trying to come up with a story he'd believe. I don't like lying, I hate doing it. But does anyone here think he would fall for the old I-stopped-to-catch-my-breath-and-time-seemed-to-speed-up-for-me speech?

Nope, didn't think so.

"I'm sorry Mr. George." I said. I had decided to go with the simplest answer. "I was on my way to school, and I just lost track of the time." There. That was most of the truth right? He steeped his fingers in front of his face, something that had always bothered me. He looked so condescending.

"I see." was all he said. That was a little disconcerting to me. Where was the hugely long speech I had been preparing for? Maybe he was a lot more distracted then I'd first thought. He let out a sigh and said

"Cassandra, go home. Starting Monday, you will have detention every day for the next week. Do you understand?" his voice lowered on the last part of the sentence. As if he was trying to sound fearsome. Ok. That was new.

"Yes sir." was all I said. I was way too weird-ed out to try and argue down my sentence. And a week of detention was not THAT horrible, right? I stood up and backed out of the door. I wanted nothing more than to start running as fast as I could. But I nodded to the secretary, and I moved slowly until I got outside.

Then I ran like Godzilla was after me. (Or maybe that sentence should be 'Like Aunt Gertrude was after me?') Anyway, I ran really fast.

I slowed down when I was out of site of the school, but I did not stop moving until I'd gotten to my street. Then I stopped. Did I really want to go home now and face the impending wrath of Gertrude Jensen? No, defiantly not. I just didn't think I could handle it at the moment.

So, stained shirt and all, I made my way down to my favorite hiding spot. I walked around the house, which doesn't have a fence, and into the woods that boarder the property line. When I was younger and my family had come here to visit, I had always loved this place. You could step out of a world filled with people and noise, but the second you walk into the trees, everything is silent. It is like walking into a sound proof room.

When I was little, I had thought it was magic. Now I understand that it is the thick trees that block out the sound. But it had never ceased to feel like a magical place for me. And I hope I will always feel the same about such places. Some things you should never be too old for. I sat down under the tree I had claimed as my own. It was a really tall one, with branches that twisted and twined all the way to the top; a true thing of beauty.

I had been sitting there, just enjoying the cool breeze and the soft sound of the birds whistling, when it happened again. That same sensation all over my body, only this time, it was a lot stronger. It started out like it had before, a little tickling feeling dancing over my skin. Then it started to sting, everywhere at once. I thought that I might be sitting in a poison plant or something. But when I stood up to look, there was nothing underneath me but dirt. Ok, this was getting really weird.

Then the pain started, and it was like nothing I had ever felt before. I was driven to my knees as sharp pains, like knives, dug into my skin everywhere. I looked at my hands, expecting them to be bleeding, but they weren't. Instead, they were trembling, as I looked at them, I thought that maybe I was having a seizure. Then things started getting really weird.

The first thing to happen was that my hands started to change color. A light pink, then a purplish blue; and they flashed back and forth between those colors. Then the second thing to happen was I started hearing things. At first, just the sounds of the woods, only really amplified. Like the gentle breeze was a roaring hurricane, and the sound of the birds was a screaming explosion. Then I could hear people's voices. I looked around through the haze of pain that surrounded me, trying to see where they were coming from. But there was no one. I heard my Aunt's voice the loudest, she sounded like she was talking on the phone.

I called out to her, but I'm not sure if any sound came out. She didn't have a cell-phone, so how could she be taking on a phone out in the woods? Maybe I was hallucinating. But was it supposed to hurt so much? The voices where getting louder and louder. I covered my ears, trying to block it out. That actually helped a little, but not enough to make a dent in the pain. I felt like I was going to go crazy if it didn't stop soon.

Then, if things couldn't get any weirder, I heard another voice. Only this one was different. All the others had seemed to be talking to someone else, not me; like I was listening in on someone else's conversations. But not this one, he was speaking directly to me. His voice was gentle and reassuring. I could not hear all of what he said, but one phrase stood out above all.

**_"Everything is going to be alright. Try to remain calm. I am here to help you. I'm sending someone to…"_** he said something after that, but I couldn't make it out. All I knew was that, somehow, I trusted him. I didn't know how, but I could _feel _the sincerity in his voice. I could tell he meant to help me, even through all the pain. I wanted to talk to him, ask him what was wrong with me. So I reached out to him, trying to figure out where his voice was coming from. My mind was filled with pictures. Of people and places I had never seen or even heard of before. Some were so amazing that I wanted to see more. I pushed deeper in, trying to find my way back to the owner of that voice. I heard a cry of pain and then I felt an explosion behind my eyes.

The pain that followed that explosion made the others feel like nothing. It rang out from within my brain, sending shock waves through my entire body. The last thing I remember was an image of a pink wall, coming between me and the waves of power. And then nothing, blessed sweet nothing. My mind went blank, and I passed out.

**_A long ways away_**

The man in the wheelchair nodded to his companions with a smile, as the three of them made their way down the metallic halls. The tallest one, a male with brown hair and sunglasses, spoke of the advancements his team was making; of how proud of them he was. The other, a woman with bright red hair and green eyes, echoed the man's statements about her team. They talked back and forth about who was learning what, which students were ahead, and those that were lagging.

All the while the elder man smiled, forcing back a chuckle over their enthusiasm. Who would have believed that only a few years ago, these now confidant teachers, had paled in fear at the thought of training their own students as he had once trained them? It made his heart swell with pride to consider it.

They approached the chair-bound man's destination, and the other two smiled and waved as they continued on their way, arguing about something or other.

When they were out of earshot, he allowed himself that chuckle before moving silently to the door he had come to. His voice was deep, yet soft as he spoke the verbal commands that opened the massive entrance into the great domed room. Slowly he made his way to the end of the long bridge, reaching out to grab, and then placing a helmet on his hairless head.

After a few moments concentration, he sighed. The strange tremor he had heard this morning was nowhere to be found. He fought back the frustration that began building inside him. Taking a few calming breaths, he forced himself to relax. There was no need for such worry, the logical part of his mind told him. If the flux of power he had sensed earlier was that of a budding mutant, then he would find it again. Yet in the back of his mind he felt like something was wrong, though what, he did not know.

With another sigh, he reached up to remove the apparatus from his head. Just then, he felt it again, the same as this morning; a slight vibration in his mind, signaling a mutation surfacing. Only this was minutely different, unlike any feeling he had before experienced.

A few seconds later, he winced as a dull pain shot through his forehead. The young mutant, a girl it seemed, was in extreme pain. He reached out to her with his mind, telling her that everything was going to be fine. After a time, he felt recognition flow through her. As if she was just realizing he was there. This was quite surprising, since most people's minds do not fully register an unfamiliar presence so quickly.

Then, to his even greater shock, he felt her reach out to him. She seemed to be probing his thoughts! Not in an unfriendly way, it was as if she did not know what she was doing, and was just trying to reach out to him. But the pain that surged through his mind was excruciating. Before he could fully think it through, he sent up mental blocks, trying to buffer the pain. It worked, but he felt a shockwave shooting through him towards her. He tried desperately to stop it, but it was too late. A mental explosion rocked the place where the girl had been, and their link broke.

The powerful telepath searched for her intently, trying to find any trace of her. But there was nothing but a blank place, and a strange vision of something bright pink. With shaking hands, he removed the helmet, allowing his head to fall into his hands. The most likely possibility was that he had killed her immediately. Or that she was completely brain dead. Sadness threatened to overwhelm him for a moment. He had just murdered a defenseless child!

"No." He said to himself, the loud echo of his words bouncing of the walls of the round room. He could not think that way. What he did know was that she would need help right away if she had survived. And he knew they had to help her. If only to take care of the brain dead husk she would have become. There was still hope that she could be rehabilitated.

He spun his chair around, and pushed it as fast as it could safely go over the bridge. The second he had exited the large room, he sent out a mental communication,

"_Scott, Jean, head to the Blackbird and prep it for launch. Hank, grab your medical supplies from the sick bay and meet them there. I will explain your mission on the way. Hurry! I fear we are already too late._ "

So what do you think? I made this one quite a bit longer then the last. I hope you like it. Tell me if I should change anything, and what I could do to make the storyline better.

I'm always open to constructive criticism.

Thanks for reading with me! –X-Nerd


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3 _**

Everything was fuzzy. I could not understand why I was hurting so much, and why my bed was so cold and hard. My mattress had always been so soft before now. Then I remembered where I was. _The woods._ I opened my eyes a little, quickly shutting them as the pain in my head worsened. I waited for it to lessen some before I tried again. This time it didn't hurt as much so I left them open, but I could not see anything. Panic washed over me. Was I blind? It took me a moment to realize that my eyes were indeed open, that it was just dark outside.

I sighed in relief and tried to stand. My muscle weren't working right, and all I could manage was to roll over. The pain shot through me again, not to the extreme of before, but enough to make me sick. _It's a good thing I rolled over,_ I thought, as I began throwing up. I was able to push myself up on my elbows. So at least I was not lying in my own waste. My body shuddered and retched until there was nothing left. I lay there, swaying slightly as I fought off the urge to dry heave. A small sob came out of me, I hurt so much. My entire being ached. I closed my eyes again, not having the strength at that moment to keep them open.

It was not just my whole body that hurt, buy my mind as well. I felt like I had just after the accident. My physical structure hurt terribly from the crash, and my mind was screaming in pain with the realization that my family hadn't made it. I felt like I had then, wishing with every fiber of my heart that I could just curl up and die. That is all I wanted. I wondered now, if I lay down here and didn't move, if I would just slip into oblivion. But, as before when I felt like this, something in me rebelled. I refused to give in to those feelings.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, wincing at the pain this simple action caused me. After a few minutes of this, when I had gotten use to the pain, I forced myself up to my knees. It took all that was in me not to scream from the explosions that racked through me. I don't know how long I sat there, it felt like hours, but I guess it was only a minute or so. Then I reached up slowly, feeling for anything that I could grab on to. My hand came to rest on the trunk of my tree. I felt for the knot hole that I knew was there. It took me awhile but I found it. My fingers curled around the edge, and I slowly pulled myself up into a standing position.

As before, every part of me screamed in pain. But I could handle it now. I leaned against the tree, trying to find the strengths to open my eyes again. When I did, the world seemed to swim around me. Florescent pink trees shone in the light of the moon. The tree I was holding was a bright pink, and the ground I was standing on was glowing with the same color, only in a lighter hue.

I quickly closed my eyes again. I knew I had to be hallucinating. Nothing in nature took on colors like these. I took a deep breath, and put my foot forward. I did not open my eyes as I started walking. I did not want to see anything else as strange as that again. When I was too far from the tree to hang on to it any longer, I let go. I almost fell, I was feeling so imbalanced. I reached out in front of me again, searching for another tree to lean on.

This was how I moved after that. From one tree to another, stopping when I could not go any further, but never sitting down. I had this feeling that if I stopped I would not be able to get up again for a long time. After a while, I knew I had to open my eyes to see where I was going. I had been heading in what I hoped was the direction of home, but I needed to be sure. Even if it meant I had to see the florescent pink trees again.

Slowly I raised my lids, afraid of the bright light that had come from the strange trees. But there was none. I opened my eyes a little more and relief washed over me. The trees around me were their normal colors. I let out a small laugh, but it came out more as a croak. Turns out, laughing made my head hurt worse (go figure) so I stopped. I rested there for a while, before continuing on. I recognized a few landmarks as I went along, so I knew I was heading the right way.

Then if I was not in enough trouble, the next obstacle was dropped in my path. I came to the edge of the tree line and looked out into our back yard. It was only about 250 feet to the back door, but it might as well have been 250 miles. I could not walk on my own without the support of the trees. Tears began to flow down my face; I would never make it that far. I slid down the tree into a sitting position on the ground. _It will be okay, _I told myself. _Someone will come for me soon. Aunt Gertrude will have called in a search party. She would have as soon as I was late for dinner. If I can just hold on for a while I'll be fine._

Thoughts of my aunt caused me to force back my tears. It could be hours until someone found me out here. They would have already searched this area and no one would be looking in it. It might even take days. Thoughts of the worry I'd already put her through pressed down on my mind. I always tried to make things as easy as possible for her; I did not want to cause her any problems what-so-ever. And here I was causing what had to be a huge scene. I could not let it go on for any longer.

I tried to form a plan in my mind. But it was impossible to think straight with all the noise that was still pounding through my temples. Finally, I pulled myself up, using the tree for support. If I walked really slowly maybe I could make it there without falling. I took a step, then another. At first I thought I could make this work. No such luck. On my third step forward, there was a particularly loud noise coming from my neighbors house. It sounded like a glass shattering, but to me it was much louder. As if a gong was slammed right next to my ear.

I covered my ears, trying desperately to block out the sound. But that action threw me completely off balance. I fell to my knees and sat there for a while. Finally the ringing stopped and I could relax again. But I could not stand up. There was nothing to grab and I did not have the strength to do it on my own. I knew I could only do one thing. So I started crawling. First on my hands and knees and then, when my legs gave out, pulling myself along with only my arms.

I don't know how long I traveled this way, but it seemed like a long time. It also seemed as if every sharp rock and twig moved to intercept and slice into me. My entire belly, arms and legs were cut and bleeding by the time I made it to the back door. I had hoped someone would have seen me by now, and would open the door to help me the rest of the way. But no one came. _Maybe they are all in the front of the house. Whenever someone goes missing the police make someone stay home in case the missing person comes back. _These thoughts ran through my mind as I lifted an arm and banged on the door. A smile came to my face as I waited for the sound of footsteps to come running. But nothing happened. My smile faded and I banged on the door again.

Still nothing…

I reached up and tried to turn the handle on the door, but I could feel that it was locked. Fear gripped me then. The only time my aunt ever locked the back door was when she left the house. That meant there was no one home. _Could she have left to look for me herself? _I wondered as I forced back more tears. That was the only reason that my muddled mind could come up with. I felt around under the door mat, praying with all my heart that the key was still there. It was! I was shaking so bad I almost could not get it in the keyhole. But after a few tries, I managed to unlock and open the door.

All the lights were out in the house. I don't even know how I got myself over the threshold and into the kitchen but I looked up to realize that was where I was lying. The cold tile on my scraped skin hurt horribly. I started to drag myself to my room but I misjudged the room I had and hit the fridge hard with my shoulder. Then something fell from above and hit me in the back of the head. I lay there in pain for a few more moments, trying to gather the strength I needed to move again.

I pulled myself up onto my bleeding elbows and started to crawl forward again. My chest came into contact with something hard, I pushed it to the side and continued moving. It seemed to take me years to make it through the kitchen and living room before I made it to the hall. All I wanted to do was make it to my own room. I came to the base of the stairs and stopped. It was only a small flight, no more then 10-15 steps, but there seemed to be so many more.

When I had first moved here, I was so happy that the little house had two floors. My old house had only one floor. My aunt slept downstairs so my bedroom was the only room upstairs that was used regularly. I always felt that it was my own little haven from the downstairs world. Now, these once loved steps were just another painful obstacle in my way. One that had to be passed in order to get to a place I could rest.

A smart person would have stayed in the kitchen and called 911. A stupid person would have crawled over to the couch and slept there. But no, I couldn't be smart, or even just stupid. I had to be mind boggling insane! I will count it off the fact that I might have been slightly delirious. Yes, that's the reason.

Anyway, I put my arms on the second step and dragged my body up. When I had gotten my knees onto the bottom step, I repeated the process. It was hard work, but almost nothing compared to the crawl across the field. As least I was on carpet and not sharp rocks. Oh well, Mom always use to say 'every cloud has a silver lining.' Hah… this one must be very thin.

When I reached the landing, I collapsed. Exhaustion would not have come near to describing the feeling that had overtaken me. But I kept going. I dragged myself to my door, which thankfully was open slightly, crawled into my room, and lay down, next to my bed. Not having the strength to pull myself up onto it.

I lay perfectly still, not able to realize that I had made it. After all that pain and torture, I was home, safe and sound. Well, at least for the moment. Who knew when the pain might come back? "Next time I pass out," I whispered to the empty room, "I might not wake up again." But I could not think about that right now. The fuzzy, muddled feeling was descending over me, like a blanket of nothingness. I thought about fighting it, forcing myself to stay awake, but I could not seem to gather the strength. I closed my eyes and fell into the most wonderful sleep I could ever remember having.

**_Several hours later, in a small clearing not too far away_**

Scott turned in a full circle, surveying the clearing they had landed the Blackbird in. The early light of morning allowed only a minimal of visibility. It was about a half mile away from the coordinates that the Professor had given them. They had tried to find a place to land closer to their destination, but this was the only one far enough out of the way of civilization. He felt movement behind him, and turning, watched as Jean, Logan, Hank, and Jubilee disembarked from the jet.

Logan and Jubilee had been in the jet hangar when the other three had arrived. They had opted to go with them in search of this young mutant Xavier wanted them to find. As Logan had said, "It beats sitting around and doing nothin' all day." Jubilee had agreed with him.

Now they stood there together, waiting on his word to move out. He turned and walked to them, his eyes coming to rest on each of them in turn. Then he spoke,

"All right team, the Professor sent us here to locate a mutant. Other then the fact that she is young, most likely in her middle teens, and that she is injured, we don't know much about her." Scott's voice rang softly with authority. "We need to be very careful as we search for her. First, we have to be sure we don't pass her over. These woods are thick, don't get lost or confused and just use your communicators if you need to. Also, try not to be seen if possible. We don't want to alarm the locals. "

His eyes locked with those of the doctor. "Hank, I want you to stay here. If we find her, and she is badly injured, we can't waste any time in getting her help." As an afterthought, he said" Oh, and keep the ship's cloak on at all times. We can't afford to have an aerial discovery."

The blue physician nodded his head in confirmation and moved back into the jet. Jubilee caught Logan's eye, rolling hers and whispering too low for Scott to hear. "And how many times have we done this before?" Logan spared her a small grin, the only sign he gave that he'd heard her. A moment later the large black jet faded in with the background of trees, and Scott turned his attention to the others.

"Ok, Logan and Jubilee, you head northeast. If you see anything, contact us immediately. Jean and I will move northwest. The same will go for us. We'll meet back here in three hours. Understand?" Everyone nodded. "Good, any questions?" When no one made any moves, he nodded again.

"Fine then. Let's move out."

With that they broke up, each group headed their different ways. Searching for any sign of who, or what, they were looking for.

Ok! Third chapter up and sparkling! Yay! *dances in crazy circles* Ok, enough of that. I'm in a goofy mood today. Anyway, what do y'all think of this latest installment? I hope it gets some good reviews. I think I like where this is going, but I'm a little lost as to what should happen next.

Any good ideas? PLEASE REVIEW! How can I be expected to improve my writing with no base for improvement?

Thanks for reading with me! ~ X-Nerd ~


	4. Chapter 4

**-SoulMama-:** Thank you for your input. I'm glad that my story in interesting to you. It just kind of came to me and I knew I had to write it to get it out of my system. +smiles+

**Jinx Author:** Thank you too for your review! Hey that rhymed! I'm glad that you like the story that much so far. I hope I can keep up the feel of it for the remainder of the narration. As to proper grammar, can you really have a good story without it?

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_**Chapter 4**_

"Ahhhhhhhhh……." I was startled awake by my own drawn out groan. Where am I? Slowly, my eyes opened a crack then I closed them with a sigh. _I was safe and sound in my own room Last night must have been a horrible dream. I'm so glad it's over! _A little smile cracked my lips at that though. I knew it was about time to wake up, or my aunt would come and get me, so I started to sit up.

Pain more horrible then you can imagine exploded over me. It was like every one of my nerve endings was being fried simultaneously, including the ones in my head. I let out a scream of agony and fell back down. That's when I realized two things. One, I was not in my bed, I was lying on the floor. Which helped lead my befuddled mind to (drum roll please)……Two, everything that had happened last night was not a dream, but a VERY frightening reality.

I gazed up at the ceiling, looking at the different textures that stood out. I thought about crying, but I was tired of that. I hate crying, always have. Well, except when my mom was alive. Whenever I had a problem, or something that bothered me, I could go to her and cry my eyes out without any shame. Like the time when I was a little kid and a boy at school I had a crush on kissed another girl. I had run all the way home afterward and had cried for an hour. Yeh, I know, corny and cheesy, but I was only 6 at the time. Mom had held me and told me everything would be all right, that I would find the perfect guy someday. The point was Mom had been my shoulder. I missed that. Right at this moment, I wished with all my heart that she would come back and just hold me. She and Dad would know how to make it all better.

Well that got me going, I'd been trying to NOT cry and here I was on the floor, filthy beyond measure, sobbing my heart out. I forced myself to stop it, nearly choking myself in the process. Not only because it did not help with my situation, but sobbing only made me hurt worse. So I lay there for a few more moments, thinking of the best way to handle things.

One thing that really bothered me was the fact that my aunt had not come up to see me. Judging by the glow outside my window, it was around noon. She never lets me stay in my room this late. Even when I was really sick, she had made me come downstairs so she could keep an eye on me. That fact had me worried.

_Maybe something has happened to her; like she fell and broke her hip or she was in a car accident while she was out looking for me. _I pushed those thoughts aside. I could not think like that. I had my own problems to deal with at the moment.

Experimentally, I gently lifted my right arm a bit. The pain was there, but not as bad as before. So slowly that it almost drove me crazy, I moved the rest of my body. As far as I could tell, nothing was broken or unresponsive. That gave me a little bit of relief. When I was sure that I was not going to fall apart, I slowly moved onto my knees. The sharp pains had subsided into a dull ach, and moving was tolerable.

It took me a while, but I managed to get off the floor and sat on the edge of my bed. There I stopped for a moment, again taking stock, and then I slowly stood up. Half of me expected to fall over right then and there, but I didn't. The other half was sure I would as soon as I moved. But I had to try. I put one foot in front of the other and tried taking a step. A grin lit my face when I didn't fall. I was careful not to get cocky as I made my way to the bathroom. I did not want to trip and fall down the stairs.

Getting out of my soiled clothing was a challenge, but after all I'd been through the night before, I knew I could handle it. But by the time I was undressed and standing in the cold shower stall I was exhausted. It took the last of my strength to turn the water faucet on. But when that warm water hit me, man, everything was worth it. It was SUCH A WONDERFUL FEELING! I could not remember a shower feeling this good.

And it got rid of my headache and most of the pain in my muscles too. I stood there under the water for I don't know how long, until I felt it start to go cold. I grinned again, thinking about how mad Aunty Gerty would be about that. She was a firm believer in 5-10 minute showers and no longer than that. But at this moment I did not care a bit.

I turned the water off and reached for a towel and wrapped it around myself. It was warm from the temperature in the bathroom and it felt wonderful. I went back into my room and looked around. I had figured on taking a shower and going back to bed, but now I was feeling much better. I decided to get dressed and go downstairs. At that thought, the worry over my aunt came back. I dressed as quickly as I could, throwing on a pair of warm pajamas. I did not want to lose that cozy feeling. I walked to the top of the stairs and looked down. It was still a strain to walk, and stairs would be tough, but I went anyway. One step, two steps, three steps, and slowly I made my way to the bottom. I had to fight back the urge to let out a triumphant yell, just for the fun of it. I felt like Columbus must have felt when the look-out called 'Land Ho!' Ok, maybe not that good but close, VERY close.

After that, I slowly moved through the rest of the house, calling softly to Aunt Gertrude. When there was no answer, and I could not find her in any of the rooms, my worry o'meter sky rocketed. Where could she be? Maybe she went to her friend Harriett's for moral support. She must be worried sick. I mean, I had just disappeared after school. I decided to call and find out.

I went into the kitchen, and started digging through the pile of phone numbers we have stuck in a drawer. I finally found the right one and went to the phone. Before I could dial, my foot kicked against something on the floor. I would have ignored it, but something about the shape caught my eye. I smile slightly and picked it up. It was the little chalk board my aunt kept on the fridge. It must have been what clobbered me last night. I went to stick it to the metal surface and then I noticed something written on it.

As my eyes scanned the scribbled message, my smile disappeared. I put the phone down with a sigh and returned the number to the drawer. The message was quick and to the point,

"I'm going over to Harriett's, she is feeling unwell. If I am not back by tonight, it means she wants company. There are cold sandwiches in the refrigerator. – Aunt Gertrude. "

My aunt was not out looking for me, and she was not hurt. She did not even know anything was the matter. I knew I should be happy, and in a way I was, she was ok and not hurt or anything. But a part of me had wanted her to be worried. To know she was out there looking for me, that she cared enough to be concerned.

I sighed again, pulling up a chair at the table. I rested my head in my hands, fighting back the emotions that rumbled under the surface. Then I decided something. I was going to make the best of this, and not feel sorry for myself. A smile flit across my face at that thought. I got up and went to the fridge. I had suddenly realized that I was starving.

I found those sandwiches Aunt Gertrude had said were there, and promptly commenced to eat them all. Now, for anyone who knows me, I am a very light eater. A normal breakfast for me consists of an apple or another piece of fruit. The fact that I sat down and ate three huge club sandwiches is unthinkable in my mind. Also the fact that I was still hungry is even more amazing. But at that moment I did not care. The only concern in my mind was what we had in the house that was edible.

I raided the cabinets and made myself some waffles with fried eggs. I mean a batch of waffles for like 3-4 people! Any sane person would have been horrified. I guess I was not sane at that time. On second thought, have I ever been?

When I could stuff nothing else into my over full stomach, I went into the living room and turned on the television. I watched a couple of different shows before I got bored. I turned off the set and just stared at the ceiling. It was then that I allowed myself to think about what had happened last night. I had been effectively blocking out those confusing images until now. But I knew I had to address them at some point. What if that started happening every day? I could not get away with collapsing in a mass of pain and pink on a regular basis.

What could be wrong? Then it kind of hit me. Just a one word thought. Mutant. I had been hearing a lot about them on the news lately. Most people wanted to kill or imprison them and some wanted to make them register in this huge database thing, a bit like criminals. Only they tried to make it sound like it was a good thing. There was a small percentage that just wanted to leave them alone, or even to try and live together in peace. But they were a very small percentage.

My aunt was one of the ones who believe they should all register, and if they refused they should be sent to prison immediately. Though I had pointed out that that is what Hitler had made the Jews do. Well, that was before he started killing them or putting them all in concentration camps. My aunt had gotten really mad at me for saying that, she tried to make it out like this was completely different. The Jews had not been dangerous. Mutants were very dangerous.

I thought about that. I didn't feel dangerous, but who knows? I might blow up a building by accident like that boy on the news a few weeks ago. I could cause the deaths of a lot of people. I had always hoped that we humans and mutants could all get along, but that seemed to be a far off wish. There seemed to be so much violence in line with the Mutant issue. I could not help noticing that it was the normal people who started most of it though. Not the Mutants, like they'd tried to make out.

I let out another sigh. What would happen to me? Would my aunt send me to one of those Mutant camps, that were mentioned on TV every once in a while? I hoped not. I did not think I could handle being caged up. No matter what anyone said, I could feel that those places were cages. Cages with nice, gentle names. That sent a shudder up my spine.

But maybe I was getting ahead of myself. Perhaps I was not a Mutant after all. Maybe I had hit my head last night, or maybe I was hallucinating like I'd thought at first. Yeh! I was probably blowing this way out of proportion. I jumped up from the couch, wincing at the pain in my muscles, and went to my room as quickly as I could.

I sat down, cross-legged, on my bed, thinking. How does one know if one's a Mutant? Maybe you just have to think about it really hard. Hopefully I would not blow the house up. But now was a good time to try because I was the only one home. I closed my eyes and thought about what last night had felt like. I thought about all the pain when I had woken up, but pushed that away. It was before that, that I needed to think about.

_I had just been sitting there, relaxing in the cool of the woods. What had set off the pain? And how had everything turned pink? _I thought about it. And then I remembered the noise_. That tickling sensation had coved my whole body, and then I had started hearing things. As if people where talking near me, only there had been no one close by. I chewed on that for a while then I remembered the man's voice I'd heard. _

_He had been calming and sure, all the worry I had started feeling had disappeared when he started speaking. But what had happened? I remembered reaching out to him, trying to find out what all this was about. Then, I had felt that explosion of pain._ My eyes opened in shock. _It came from him! Why had he tried to hurt me? Had he meant to kill me? _The second the thought crossed my mind, I discarded it. I had felt his sincerity; he was really trying to help me. And I had felt, for an instant before I passed out, that he was upset. He had not meant to do whatever he had done.

I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today. I was no closer to answers then I had been before.

I stayed there on my bed for a while, just enjoying the warm sunshine that filtered through my window. I wondered when my aunt would be coming home, and then I started listening for her car. That's when it started, again. That slight tingle over the surface of my skin, but this time, I was ready for it.

I braced myself incase the pain came back, but it didn't. Everything took on a slightly pinkish hue, like I was looking through colored saran wrap or something. Then I started hearing things. Only now I knew what they were. I heard the sounds of people talking, I recognized Mr. Henson, the old man who lives a street over. I could hear him talking to his cat Elmer. I focused in on him, and slowly the other sounds faded away. _Ok. _I thought _I have super hearing. That is defiantly interesting. _Then, if that wasn't cool enough, I saw them. I didn't know if I was imagining it or not, but I thought I could see him. Sort of in my minds eyeI grinned, saying jokingly

"_Hi Mr. Henson, Hello Elmer." _

He jumped a mile, a startled look on his kind, wrinkled face. That reaction caused me to jump out of my skin. It also caused me to lose my concentration on him. I felt like I was being pulled back, like I had actually gone off somewhere. Right before I was snapped back into reality, I heard his gentle voice saying,

"What? Who's there?"

Then it was gone, and I was back in my room, on my bed. Normal as you please. _WOW!_ was about the only word to describe it.That was about the weirdest thing that could have happened.

I slowly opened my eyes, blinking rapidly at the change of light and color back to normal. I rubbed my face and eyes with my hands, trying to speed the adjusting process along. Then I saw my hands, and I freaked out totally. They where glowing pink! In fact, the entire surface of my skin was pink. Ok, this was not funny. I could handle the hearing things, even the talking with my mind (if that's what I'd been doing), but this was too much. I could hide those other things, but not this. This was really noticeable.

But I had to admit, it looked pretty cool. I mean I've never been a color pink fan, but they had an interesting appeal. _Maybe having different colored skin was not that bad._

As that thought crossed my mind, I shook it off. What was I thinking! I couldn't have pink skin! I focused on it really hard, trying to think the color away. And to my surprise, it worked! Well, somewhat. The color slowly began to fade off me, receding until it was almost completely gone. Almost anyway. My fingernails were still glowing.

All right, I could handle glowing fingernails. I did not normally have any money to buy polish or nail gloss. So this was okay. Well, as okay as this COULD be.

Then I had a thought. The first time this had happened, when I was on my way to school, it had taken a long time. And out in the woods, I had passed out for at least five hours, maybe even more than that. But this time, judging by the clock on my wall, it had only been a few minutes. That fact bothered me. How could I do this again, if I could end up dead to the world for hours on end? Or maybe just dead.

While I pondered that thought, my stomach started growling. I looked at it in shock. I could not be hungry wasn't that like, physically impossible? I groaned, and got off my bed and headed for the kitchen. My aunt was going to kill me for the amount of food I'd been eating. But I guess, when you're hungry you're hungry.

Plus, I'd prefer hunger as a side effect to passing out in pain any day.

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I'm getting excited about this story myself! smiles Anyway, I want to know what all of you thought.

Please review, and tell me what should happen next!

-Psylocke


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

**-Soul Mama-: **Thank you! I have my first major fan! Some one is obsessed with my writing! Yeah!!! Ok, enough of that. +grins+ You asked for a meeting? Well here you are!! Give me a drum roll please………

**Jinx Author: **I really appreciated your review as well. I like having someone to follow my story lines and tell me if I'm doing something wrong. Please keep it up!

Also…. any ideas for costume design??

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_**The Woods**_

Jubilee's eyes scanned the trees around them. They had been searching through these woods for hours now. So far there was no sign of the Mutant they were looking for. She let out a loud sigh of frustration. She had thought it would be fun to meet a new Mutant, and maybe be there to reassure her about her new found abilities.

She could still remember how afraid she had been when her powers had surfaced. Jean, Storm, and many of the other Mutants at the Institute had been there to help her through it. They had encouraged her endlessly, especially Logan. And had given her the kick in the butt she needed when she was feeling sorry for herself. She loved returning that favor.

But it did not seem that she would get the chance this time. The Professor had seemed sure that this Mutant would be incapacitated or even dead. He said they needed to find her quickly, before she was exposed to the elements for to long. But even Logan had not been able to pick anything up from her so far.

Jubilee looked over her shoulder, wondering where he was anyway. She had moved away from him a ways back, thinking she had seen something. But it had turned out to just be a log. She was about to call out to him, when she noticed something else. There seemed to be something pink glowing in the trees ahead of her. She squinted her blue eyes, trying to make out where it was coming from.

She began walking toward it, trying to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. When she got closer, she realized that there was a thin wall of shrubs separating her from whatever it was. As she pushed through, her foot caught on a branch and she tripped. She let out a surprised cry as she went down.

"Stupid bush" she muttered as she tried to untangle her leg. But her pants were caught fast. She cursed under her breath then let off a small burst of her fireworks at the branch, effectively releasing herself from its grasp.

Slowly she stood up, grumbling all the way. She turned, ready to start looking again, and her mouth dropped open. The world was pink! Her eyes widened in shock as she looked around, wondering if she might have hit her head when she fell.

Everything was pink, a soft glowing pink. The trees trunks, the ground, even the leaves and grass blades were pink. She spun in a slow circle, finally looking back the way she had come. That way was normal, the same color as the rest of the woods they had been traveling through. But before she could think anymore about this strange phenomenon, she heard the sound of someone crashing through the trees.

"Jubilee!" she heard Logan yell, right before he burst through the bushes behind her. "There you are darlin' I heard ya cry out. What happened?" he said. Then he seemed to notice where they were. She was amused to see that he seemed just as amazed as she was.

"What in the blue blazes happened here?" he too, turned in a small circle. Trying to see where the glow was coming from. When an answer was not visibly available, he turned his attention back to her, a question in his eyes. Before he could ask it, she spoke up.

"I tripped and fell, when I looked up, I saw all this." she waved her hand at the expanse of pink. "And no, I did not have anything to do with this." she went back to looking around, trying to find something that might be causing this. Suddenly, excitement sparked in her. She spun around and grabbed Logan's arm.

"Logan. Do you think that this might have something to do with that Mutant we're looking for?" her eyes looked again at the foliage around her.

Logan shrugged, taking in a few deep breaths. "I don't know kid. I can't smell anyone, or anything for that matter. As far as my senses go, nothin about this place is any different from the rest o' the woods." His eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he tried to pick something up. Then he reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out his communicator.

"Scott, Jean. Ya read me?" his gravelly voice called over the device.

"Yes Logan, we hear you. Find anything yet?" Jean's voice sounded tired as she answered him.

"Ya. I think we have. You and Scott need ta see this." he gave her their location.

"All right, we will be there soon." she affirmed.

Logan switched the com off. Then he and Jubilee went back to searching the area. They looked in the trees and leaves and even under the surface of the ground in a few places. The pink glow stopped just under the surface. But they could not find anything that might have caused it. Scott and Jean got there a few minutes later. They were equally impressed.

"Amazing." Jean said "What could have created this in such large area? I've never heard of a mutant that could do something quite like this." she reached out and touched the bark of an oak tree. It did not feel any different then it should.

Scott was examining the area as well. His eyes became worried and he turned to Jean.

"Jean, is it possible that the girl lost control of her ability and, well, became this? Could that account for the pink color? Perhaps we are standing in what use to be her now."

That statement won looks of disgust of all present parties. Jubilee started walking lighter as if she hated the idea of stepping down. Jean features took on a thoughtful look, her eyes scanning the area around them.

"Well, I've never heard of that happening quite like this before. But I suppose that it is a possibility. If so I should be able to pick up something."

She moved to one of the trees, it seemed to have the brightest hue. As if it had been closest to whatever had transpired here. She placed her hand on the side of the tree, noting that it seemed a little warm. She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, searching for any feeling that might be in the wood. At first there was nothing, and she reached out further, touching the whole area of discolored vegetation.

Then, she began to sense something. The echo of a vibration, a hum, flitted across her skin, touching every part of her being. It was a wonderful sensation, one that was akin to the feeling that she experienced in the arms of her husband. But this was different, unlike anything she could fully describe. It seemed to be studying her, trying to find out who, or what she was. But its presence held no human qualities. It felt more, primitive than that. Almost like the way water, or even wind, brushes against something. She had never before felt anything so strange.

She reached deeper, probing, searching for any clue as to the creator of this unexplainable occurrence. That is when the hum changed. It took on a defensive tone, as if unsure of her motives. When she continued to press, it rose in tempo, no longer a gentle caress. It fluttered angrily over her, stinging her skin and sending a burning feeling through her entire self. Then it formed into vine-like things that rapped around her and started to tighten. Pleasure changed to terror as she realized she could not stop it. She tried desperately to pull away, but was completely trapped.

Her teammates and her husband watched in amazement, and then horror, as her face went from one of complete bliss and happiness, to confusion and then pained fear. They were powerless to stop it, they could see nothing to try and stop. The vines where invisible to them. Scott tried to reach for her, but found his way blocked by some type of barrier.

They could do nothing but stand there helplessly and watch.

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_**Within a house, not far away…**_

I sighed and stretched out. I was sitting on the couch in the living room, just having polished off another mammoth size helping of food. This time I had made myself two large omelets with buttered toast. I should have been angry or afraid, something. But at the moment I just felt full and comfortable. I think I would have been happy to have stayed like that forever. My aunt had yet to call, and I was quite content to sit around all day and not deal with her. I liked having some time on my own.

I looked down at the coffee table, my eyes moving to the hand mirror that lay there. My aunt must have put it down and forgot about it when she left yesterday. I reached over and picked it up, regarding myself in it.

I did not look like anything special. I had bright red hair like my dad, with golden highlights the color of my mom's. My eyes were blue-green with a dreamy caste to them. They where my dad's eyes, and sometimes when I looked into the mirror, I felt like I was just a little bit closer to him again. My mouth had always looked a little crooked to me, and I hated the dimple that appeared one my right cheek whenever I smiled. Dimples had looked beautiful on my mother, but I've always thought I looked cheesy with just one. My skin was pale and in summer I had a light dusting of freckles on my cheeks. I hated them because I looked so much younger then I really was with freckles. The one thing I was proud of was my nose. I thought of all things on my face, it was nice. Not too long or too short, and well shaped. But all in all I'd always thought of myself as plain.

Though my parents were forever telling me how beautiful I was.

I sighed and set the mirror back on the table, leaning back into the soft cushions. I had to close my eyes to fight off the tears. Nothing could get me crying like a trip down memory lane. I tried to focus on the good things that would make me happy, but I could never do so without having to realize all over again that they were dead. So, like now, I just pushed all of the memories back and swallowed hard.

After a while of dozing, I decided to try out my new found abilities again; mostly as a way to push my family from my thoughts. I sat, cross-legged, on the couch and relaxed. I made myself calm down, and tried to stop my heart from racing. I listened for any sound or vibration that was nearby. At first, I had a hard time dodging the noises that were really close. Like the leaky faucet upstairs or the sound of the dryer running; for in my current state, those sounds were amplified ten fold.

Once I had gotten past that, I could hear the sounds of the voices on my street and the surrounding streets. But no further than that. I smiled a little. _It seems that Mr. Henson is the extent of my range._ I was about to pull back, I was wondering if I'd be hungry again, when I felt something else. It was the feeling of fear, not mine, someone close by; several some ones actually. Somehow, I could tell it was coming from the woods. There was also pain coming from one of them. I don't know why, but it felt even more amplified than the sounds really close to me. Like I had an extra ear in the woods that was closer to it then I was to the other noises.

I focused my hearing on the sounds and feelings that were coming from there. Then I felt something so weird, it put everything else I'd been through to shame. I felt myself moving, not my body because I could still feel the couch cushions under my butt, my mind was moving. I was flying toward them and I was pretty scared. I mean hey, if your head started zooming around to unknown destinations without you, you would have been just as freaked.

I thought about pulling back and not going, but I really did want to find out what was happening. Finally, interest won out over caution and I made myself relax. (What, bad idea? Curiosity has killed numerous cats? Yes I know. I never said I was very smart did I?) Anyway, it did not take me long to get to there. I recognized the place instantly. Where else would there BE pink plants? I knew this was the place it had all happened last night. For a moment, I just looked around me. Was it just me, or were these plants starting to glow even brighter now? I shook off that thought and turned my focus on the four people there.

Two men and two women it seemed. Three of them seemed to be older, and one was about my age. I stood there watching them, trying to figure out what was wrong. The two guys and the young girl where circling the second woman. She had lovely reddish blonde hair. Not as red as mine, I'd never met someone who had hair that red, but close. She was very beautiful to say the least. But she had a pained, terrified expression on her face. One of the men was standing really close to her; he had brown hair and was wearing some kind of weird eyeglasses. It looked like a visor or something. He seemed really frightened for her, and my heart immediately went out to him. His face was so scared. The other two, I could not see very well. They had theirs backs turned a bit toward me.

I looked at the red head again I wanted to be able to help her. To make the fear in the others go away. I reached out to her with my thoughts. Much like I had with Mr. Henson. Only this time it was different. I could feel her, but it was if she were trapped and struggling against something. Like a sparrow I'd seen stuck in a flower net. I moved a bit closer and realized what was wrong. There were pink strands rapped around her entire body, and they were squeezing her hard. I looked at the other three, wondering why they weren't trying to help her. _Why don't they untangle her? _My mind cried out. I could see her lips turning blue and her skin paling.

I could not stand it anymore; I just couldn't stand there and watch her die! I rushed forward push the shorter man and the girl out of my way. And then I realized that my body was back at home. How could I untangle her without hands? I looked down where my hand should be, and to my shock, they were there. In fact, my whole body was there. Only I was pink, and very transparent. I could hardly see myself. But I did not have time to dwell on this new and interesting idea. I reached out to the woman, and I started grabbing the vines. When I first touched them, I felt anger. Not my own, theirs. They were defending their home. A stranger had come and hurt them, now the stranger must die.

There were no words coming from them, just feelings. Half shaped thoughts and ideas, but I understood them. Well, mostly. I could feel anger and horrible pain. They had been hurt badly. I stopped yanking on them, and lightly brushed them with my fingertips. Stroking them and making soft soothing sounds. Much liked I'd done with the sparrow. I told them everything would be fine, and that they could let go. That nothing was here to hurt them again, I would protect them.

And to my utter shock, they listened. They stopped tightening and started to relax their grip. _Well that's more then I can say for the sparrow._ I thought as I continued caressing them. _It pecked at me every time I tried to help it. By the time I let it loose, my hands were cut up quite a lot. _When they had fully relaxed, I whispered softly to the woman,

"Please don't move or struggle, I'll get you out. I promise." I spoke gently; she looked at me strangely, as if she didn't understand what I was saying. It was then that I realized something; I wasn't speaking in English! I was speaking in a language that I had never heard before. It was a strange, soft tongue, with lots of rises and falls in pitch. It sounded beautiful, but I had no idea where I had learned it from. I spoke again, this time forming words in English carefully so they would come out right.

"Sorry about that, I hope you can understand me now. Please don't fight them; I'll get you out of this. I promise, just relax." My own words sounded guttural and harsh compared with the music that the other language had sounded like. But at least she understood. I saw the recognition in her eyes, and she nodded just a little.

When she did, the plants tightened around her neck, as if they thought she was going to try and fight them. I continued petting them, whispering words in that unknown dialect, and after a few seconds, they relaxed again. As soon as I was sure they had, I gently began pulling them off of her. They did not try to resist me, and some of them let go on their own. She fell to her knees and the brown haired man pulled her away, but I wasn't paying attention to them. A few of the vines where rapping themselves gently around me! They vibrated with a soft hum, akin to a purring sound. One lifted up and caressed my cheek. Their feelings were happy now, and I picked up on a feeling of safety and of being loved from them. Tears came to my eyes at the pictures they were giving me, new ones of recognition and older ones of loneliness and fear. They had not understood why they had been left alone in the first place. They only knew it had felt wrong.

I caressed them back, murmuring words of comfort and love. I didn't know why I cared about them, they had almost killed someone a minute ago, and they could kill me now with little or no resistance. But I was not afraid of them, I felt at peace. They did not want me to go again, but I knew I would have to. When that thought crossed my mind they clung desperately to me, the gentle hum turning into one of pleading terror. So I did what at that moment felt completely right. I brought them to me. I told them I'd take them home with me, anything to make that fear leave. But how in the world was I supposed to take a huge set of vines home with me?

They seemed to sense that thought too, and they immediately began to shrink; slowly at first, and then faster. They slowly curled and shrank into a single stalk. One little pink vine about eight inches long with a tiny bud on the end that I supposed was the head. Then that one little vine began crawling up my chest and then it made its way to my shoulder. Once there, it slipped around my neck, its little head cuddling up under my ear. I noticed that the pink color around me was fading. The woods were returning to normal.

And that was that.

I looked up, and started as I remembered there were other people here. The four of them were looking at me with various expressions on their faces. The brown haired man had pulled the woman against him and was looking at me with a guarded look. As if he was not sure what to think of me. The woman was watching me with a mixture of awe and surprise. The other man and the girl where watching me too, I could now see them clearly now. The man was short with dark hair, and he was watching me from a fighting stance; a hard expression on his face. I thought he might be thinking about attacking me. The girl was very pretty, with her oriental appearance and bright blue eyes. She was looking at me with an interested look; I couldn't tell what she thought of me.

I smiled a little shyly at her and she immediately grinned back. I instantly liked her. She said something to her short companion and he seemed to calm down a little. At least I hoped that is what he was doing. The tall guy and the red-headed woman stepped forward. She spoke up,

"Hello, my name is Jean Grey. Thank you for saving me." She looked from me to the woods around them, and then back at me saying,

"What you did with here was very interesting. But where did you learn to do that?"

I blinked at her. I had no idea how to answer that, because I did not know how I had learned in the first place. I looked at each of them in turn. I felt like I could trust them, but a part of me was still wary. How could I be sure that they were not here to harm me in some way? As I looked at them though, I felt like I had seen them before. As if I knew them. But how was that possible?

Before I could think about it, I found realized that I was talking.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" I was surprised at the sound of my voice. It was deeper than it should have been, almost like the sound of a gong being stuck. I saw the shorter man wince, as if the sound hurt his ears, and I resolved to try and talk softer. It was then that the tall man spoke up.

"We are members of a group called the X-men, we were sent here by our leader to find you. He thought you might be hurt. My name is Cyclops and this is Jean. Over there is Wolverine and Jubilee." he said as he pointed to each of them. "We are not here to harm you in any way. I'm sorry if we frightened you. Can you tell us your name, and are you trapped here?"

His voice was calm and gentle, but also firm. And I could tell that he was their leader by the way he spoke. The confidence that resounded from his presence was very reassuring; he knew exactly what he was doing. And I found myself responding to that tone of voice, as if my heart knew I could talk to them.

"No I'm not trapped here. I don't know why I'm even here at the moment, as far as I know, I'm still sitting on my couch back home. I was _Listening_ and I heard a cry for help. So I came in mind to see what was wrong." The way I put it sounded so sure, like I had known what I was doing at the time.

I was about to say something else, to ask them if they knew what was happening to me, when I heard a scream. It felt like it came from far away, yet it was so loud in my ears that I knew it had to be VERY close. And I knew without a doubt that it was my Aunt's cry. Only she could reach so high on the pitch scale that I felt like there was glass in my brain shattering. I whirled around, looking for the source of the cry. And then I realized that it had come from back home, where my body was now. I took one last look at these _X-Men _before I pulled myself back into my body. There faces where a mixture of confusion and surprise. I hoped I would be able to find them again.

I pulled back as fast as I could. So quickly in fact, that when I opened my eyes in the living room, my head started to spin and I fell off the couch. I tried to get up, but I was having a hard time of it. My limbs were extremely stiff from sitting like that for who knows how long. When the world stopped turning and I could see again, I looked for my aunt? When had she gotten home? And more pressing on the question scale, what could have scared her so badly?

I looked around, and spotted her standing by the front door, a bag of groceries spilled out at her feet. I stood up and turned in a circle. Being careful not to fall over again, I looked for what could have frightened her. I could see nothing out of the ordinary at first, and I turned to her again. I was about to ask her what was wrong when I saw what she was looking at. Me.

I looked down at myself and realized the problem. I was glowing. My skin had started the shiny pink glowing thing again. How was I going to explain this? My eyes turned back to my aunt, and the two of us just stared at each other for a few moments, neither saying a word. But, I mean really, what was there to say?

After a while, she seemed to snap out of her trance. She turned away from me and began picking up the groceries. I wanted to run to her, tell her that I was scared, and that I needed her to understand. I needed to know she would support me. The sad thing was I knew she wouldn't. Most people have that hope; they know they have a chance that their family will love them no matter what is going on. But she hated mutants. For whatever reason, she had always made that VERY clear to me. And judging by her reaction to me, I don't think that feeling could be changed.

She started putting the things away, trying to ignore me completely. To tell you the truth, I was at a loss. Should I run over to her and try to explain everything? Tell her that I had never meant for this to happen? Would she even believe me? I decided that I had to try. I couldn't just stand there all day waiting for her to acknowledge the problem. So that's what I did. Slowly, and with what I hope was a calm look on my face, I made my way over to her.

At that moment her back was turned toward the counter. I reached out to touch her shoulder, and then thought better of it. Instead, I leaned against the wall opposite her and started talking; though I had no idea what I was suppose to be saying.

"Aunt Gertrude? Please, listen to me. I'm…. I'm sorry that you had to find out that way, I had meant to tell you in person that I'm a Mutant." which was a lie. I don't think that I would have told her if I had the choice. But I could not let her know that.

She was still refusing to notice me. I guess she thought if she were to ignore me, this would all go away, which was really unlike her. She had always been one to stare things straight in the face, no matter how hard they were. It had been that way after my parents died. She had just jumped right back into things after the funeral, like everything was normal. I knew that was her way of handling things. It had never been mine, but that did not mean I did not love her.

I looked at the back of her head, wishing with all my heart that she was my Mom. I knew she would have been there for me. That was when I made my first big mistake. I reached out and gently put my hand on her shoulder. She spun around, slapping my hand away hard. Her eyes held none of the love and caring that should have been there. They were filled with so much hateful loathing and disgust that I reeled back in shock. She had a reach into the drawer and pulled out a big butcher knife. She shook it at me, pointing the edge at my chest. Then she snarled at me, yes I said snarled, like an animal.

"You stay away from me you… you monster! If you take one step closer I swear I'll kill you!"

Her eyes were so wild and her voice so cold that I could not move. My mind just would not believe that this was happening. Then I forced myself to relax, I knew I had to get her to calm down or she would have a heart attack or something. So I took a deep breath and said to her,

"Please Aunt Gertrude, it's not that bad. You know I would never hurt you in any way! I just want to talk to you. Please put the knife down."

Then I made my second big mistake. You'd think I would have learned by now not to do stupid things by now, but obviously not. I took a step towards her, reaching out for the knife, wanting nothing more then to get her to calm down. I did not think in my wildest dreams that she would have EVER hurt me.

But she did.

As I moved forward, she screamed and slashed out at me, aiming for my head. As a reflex, I threw my arms up in front of my face, and got a deep cut in my left arm for my trouble. I cried out in pain and pulled back, clutching at my arm. The next thing I know, she was pulling a frying pan off the rack next to her and swinging it at me. I tried to duck, and instead of braining me, it only grazed the side of my head. But that was strong enough of a hit to knock me over. I lay down on the floor and curled up into a ball, waiting for the next hit.

But it did not come. My ears were ringing and my arm hurt like anything. There was also this strange, frantic buzzing sound coming from somewhere near my ear, but I couldn't tell what it was. I heard Gertrude moving around and then she started talking in a high pitched frightened voice. At first I thought she was talking to me, but she was talking to fast. I looked up, moving really slowly so she wouldn't see me. Confusion mixed with the pounding in my head to further muddle my brain when I realized she was on the phone.

I could not tell who she was talking to at first; I could only hear a few words in her conversation.

"Niece… mutant…attacked me…don't know what to do…please hurry…equipped to handle this."

Then she gave our address and I knew she wall calling the police, or worse, the Agents for Human Protection. (They were a group of soldiers employed by the government to capture dangerous mutants. From what I'd heard on TV, they were the ones who took mutants to the camps and detention centers. And you never really heard about them again.)

A thousand thoughts and feeling were running through my head at that moment. The foremost of which was that I had to get out of there, and now. I lay perfectly still, knowing that I was running out of time. The police station was only about four or five miles from my house, if she'd called them, I had almost no time at all. They would be there any second. If she'd called the AHP I had a little more time. Their closest headquarters was about six hours away. I also knew that there was no way on earth that either the AHP or the police would believe my side of the story. I was a Mutant. It just works that way.

The pounding in my head had lowered a few notches, but the frantic buzzing was still the same. Only now it had an angry twinge to it. That anger seemed to be directed toward Gertrude. I reached up to find the source of the buzzing and felt something warm and smooth around my neck. It was then that I remembered the little plant that had rapped around me in the woods. At any other time I would have been shocked that it had been able to come back with me when my body had not moved. But right now I did not have the strength to think about that.

I stroked it a few times, until I felt that it was calming down a little. Somehow I knew that it had been thinking about attacking Gertrude. But no matter what she had done, I could not let her be harmed. I glanced back up, looking desperately for a way out of this.

Gertrude had her head turned slightly away from me as she continued to speak into the receiver. _This is it! _I thought to myself. _It is now or never. _I took a deep breath and jumped up. The sudden movement had sent the world around me spinning. I heard Gertrude start screaming and I ran in the direction that I thought the door was but kept stumbling. I almost fell over a couple of times, once I had to reach out and catch myself on the coat rack to keep from falling but somehow I was able to stay on my feet and I was able to get my coat.

I got to the door and realized that it was open. I pushed through the screen and fell down the three porch steps. I landed on my hurt arm and screamed in pain. But that did not stop me from getting up again.

I stopped for a second, trying to figure out where I was suppose to go. I used that time to put my coat on my good arm and tuck my hurt arm to my chest again. I looked around me and saw the edge of the woods in the corner of my eye. For some reason I felt that was the safest place I could be. It seemed like I had been paying a lot more attention to my_ feelings_ as of late. But so far they hadn't steered me wrong,**yet.**

I pulled my arm against my chest, trying to slow the bleeding down a little. I was starting to feel a little light headed, and I knew I needed help soon or I would bleed to death. I focused on the tree line, knowing that it would provide me with some cover if the authorities chased after me. So no matter how much it hurt I knew I had to keep running. But that is a LOT easier said then done when your head feels like it's coming off and your life force is draining out through your arm. The world around me started to get fuzzy, but I shook the feeling off. The trees were only about ten feet away now, I was almost there.

Just then, I noticed movement behind the trees. Someone was coming out toward me! My first thought, brought to me courtesy of the emotional side of my brain, was that the police or the AHP were already there and that they had surrounded our house. Fear coursed through my veins as I realized that I could not even try to fight them off, and that I could not run for much longer. They would capture me, and then who know what?

But the logical, calmer part of my brain, the one I should listen to more, told me there was no way that they could have gotten there that quickly. That this was most likely a hiker or something, just taking a stroll through the woods, and that all I had to do was turn slightly to avoid them. But of course I almost never listen to that part of my brain. So in the split second that I had to think before I was upon them I came up with an idea. My only chance to get past an officer was to plow on through them. Hopefully I would knock them over and be able to keep running. It was not the most formulated plan, but could you have done better in a split second?

So that is what I did, I ran at them full force, and turned my shoulder towards them, like I'd learned in a self defense course a few years back. Hopefully they would be knocked over from the force of it. But it didn't work. Instead of knocking them over, or even running into them hard enough to do SOME damage, I hit full force into what had to have been the hardest chest ever to exist in the history of mankind.

I mean, there was almost no give whatsoever on the chests owner's part. In fact, instead of knocking him over, I was knocked over myself. And now, not only was my head and arm hurting, but my shoulder and my back that I landed on were now killing me. Worst of all, I knew I was either about to die, or be taken away to who knows where.

_Well, at least I'll go or die with some dignity. _I thought to myself as I lifted my head to look my captor in the eye. When I did my eyes locked with a pair of dark brown ones topped off with bushy black eyebrows, and my mouth fell open. So much for dignity, how many people know how embarrassing it is to realize your mouth is hanging open? Well I do now.

For there, standing in front of me, was the short man with the funny haircut from the woods. I think his name was Wolverine. I had just plowed into him at full force, and he had not even had the decency to grunt, or even oooof! (So much for my pride in my defense skills.) We stared at each other for a second, while I sat there panting like crazy, and then one of his brows arched slightly, a look of amusement in his eyes.

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Well? What do y'all think? I hope you like it as much as the others. I think that the story line is progressing well. I'm sorry for the extremely varied chapter lengths though.

Remember, keep your reviews coming. I'm only going to continue writing this story if I know people are enjoying it.


	6. Chapter 6

As I said before, I don't own any of the X-Men and I am only using them in my stories courtesy of Marvel Comics.

I do own Cassandra and any other non-Marvels. So if you want to use them please contact me first.

This is sort of a back-up of chapter. Incase any of you are interested in what was happening from the X-Men's point of view while Cassandra was escaping from her evil aunt. It is really short, but I thought it was a good idea. I'll publish it with chapter 7 so I won't loose any of my fans to boredom. :)

Thanks again to all my reviewers out there. I really appreciate all your support and I hope you will stay with me. Sorry it has taken me so long. I've been kind of stuck with no muse.

Here we go.

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O.O.O.O.O.O

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_**Chapter 6**_

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O.O.O.O.O.O

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_**A little while before**_

Wolverine watching in horror as Jeans face went from one of calm to a look of pure fear in a matter of seconds. Every muscle in his body went to one of defense as he looked around for the source of this change. He could not see, smell, or sense anything that could be the cause. Everything smelled as it should, there was no sign of danger whatsoever.

And yet Jean, a dear and long time friend, stood there. A look of pain and fear etched across her features. Wolverine could smell the fear coming from Scott and Jubilee as the three watched her. Then her lips began to turn slightly blue and Wolverine realized that she was suffocating. But from what? How could they help her if there was nothing wrong? He looked around, his actions becoming more frantic as he could still not find anything that could be making this happen. And he could tell they were running out of time. She could not go without air for much longer.

Jubilee reached out to grab her sleeve, and before Scott could stop her, her hand seemed to come in contact with a wall and she pulled back. She was wincing from the pain of Jean's telekinetic shield. Jean was obviously trying to fight whatever was harming her, but from the color of her face, it was a loosing battle.

Wolverine was about to try and grab her, a last resort seeing as how touching the shield for too long might kill him even with his healing factor. But he did not see any other choice of action. He moved to do so when he heard a surprised gasp from Jubilee. He spun towards her, thinking she had been attacked too. But she was looking wide-eyed at something behind him. He turned around again, his own eyes widening slightly at the sight.

Standing or better yet, floating there, was a young girl. At least he thought it was a young girl. She was a transparent pink color, and hard to see clearly. She was about 5'9" with a slender build, and her eyes were glowing an even brighter pink than the plants around them. She was looking at Jean and the rest of them with a look of confusion mixed with fear on her face. Her eyes went from them to Jean, as if she was waiting for them to do something. When they did not move, her features settled into a look of determination.

She pushed forward; floating quickly over to where Jean was standing. She reach her hand out, and began running them over the air a few inches from Jean's skin, like she was touching something invisible. She continued this for a short time, and after a while, Wolverine could hear that she was making a soft, cooing sound, almost like a dove's.

Then, to further their shock, she spoke; though the language was a strange one. It rose and fell in tone and pitch like a normal language, but the words sounded like music. Deep, soft, and whispered, yet easily heard by each of them. The only word he could think to describe it was beautiful. And, oddly, he was sure that he had heard them before.

His thoughts were pulled back to his surroundings when he heard a voice. It took him a moment to realize that it was coming from their visitor. And it took him another moment to full understand what she was saying. So intent had his focus been on the music that the sounds of her words, though spoken in English, were guttural and harsh on his ears. But at least now he could understand her.

"Sorry about that," she said, he voice was calm and gentle, with no hint of fear.

"I hope you can understand me now. Please don't fight them; I'll get you out of this. I promise, just relax." she was speaking to Jean, not the rest of them, and he saw that Jean nodded slightly. Some of the color had returned to her cheeks and her lips were no longer blue. At least it seemed this person was here to help. But what had she meant by 'please don't fight them'? What was there that Jean had been fighting? He glanced over at Jubilee and met her eyes. He saw the same confusion that he was feeling. She glanced at Jean and then back to him, her shoulders rising in a small shrug. She obviously did not see anything either. They both turned their attention back to Jean and the girl.

All of the sudden, Jean gasped and dropped to the ground. Scott dashed over to her and pulled her away from where the girl stood. She leaned against him, breathing deeply, until her color was completely back to normal. The girl had remained in the same place. Her eyes were now closed and she had a look of total peace on her face. She stayed like that for a few minutes, and then the area of woods around them began to change. Slowly the glow started to lessen, and then the pink color that had covered everything faded away. Within a few moments, there was nothing left in this part of the woods that was any different from the rest. Well, except for the glowing girl.

Then, as if waking from a light sleep, or a daydream, the girl's eyes opened and she turned toward them. Wolverine took on a fighting stance, ready in case she attacked them. He watched as she looked at each of them, and then smiled at Jubilee. She grinned back at her, and then turned to him.

"Come on Wolvie, stop looking like your going to attack her. She just saved Jean's life! I don't think she's any threat to us." she said before turning back to the girl.

He forced himself to calm down, and lower his defense a little. Jubes was right; they did not want to scare her off. He listened to Scott and Jean as they spoke to her, all the while watching for any sign of danger from her. She seemed to be extremely interested in them, and he had a feeling she meant them no harm.

But before they could ask her what her name was, she tensed up, a shocked look on her face. She spun around, facing the opposite direction from where they had come. She seemed to be listening to something, but try as he might; he could not hear anything but the sound of the woods. She turned and looked at them again, a desperate look in her eyes. But before anyone could ask what was wrong she vanished. Just faded out in front of them.

They all stood there for a few moments, trying to figure out what had just happened. Jubilee was the first to snap out of it. She ran over to Jean and Scott and kneeled down next to them, placing one of her small hands on Jean's shoulder.

"Are you alright? What happened? What was attacking you? Do you know who she is? What language was she speaking when she first showed up? She looked like something bad was happening. Do you think she's ok? Where do you think she is now? Is she dead?" She had to stop for air then, and Jean took that opportunity to get a few words in, her voice still slightly raspy from lack of air.

"Yes I'm alright." she reached up and stroked Scott's arm lovingly. "I don't know what happened, and I'm not sure what was attacking me. I reached out to see if I could feel anything, and I touched a presence. At first it felt like a hum, or vibration and I tried to look deeper. Then it started to sting, and there were these ropes or vines rapping around me. They cut off my air supply, and I don't think I would have survived much longer if she had not come when she did. Those things seemed to listen to her and she made them let go of me." She had to stop for a breath now, and Wolverine walked over and offered her his water canteen. She smile gratefully and took a long drink before continuing.

"I have no idea what language she was speaking in. And as to who she is, I don't know that either. But she is definitely a Mutant, she has be. I believe that she is indeed alive, and we need to find her quickly. I got the impression that she was broadcasting her presence from somewhere else. So she must possess some form of telepathy. She seemed to be in trouble there at the last, so I don't know how much time we have."

She smiled again at her husband and started to stand up. She seemed a little wobbly at first, but with his help she was able to stand and quickly regain her footing. Scott suggested that she go back to the ship for an evaluation from Hank, but she refused, wanting to help with the search.

"I really am fine Scott." she said when he insisted. "But that girl out there might not be. How could I live with myself if I went to the jet and she came to harm? Especially when I might have helped find her?" she took a deep breath, steadying herself as another bit of dizziness washed over her. "We need to move out now, and look for her. We can't just stand here all day."

Scott could see the determination in her eyes, and with a sigh, he relented. He knew that look, and there was no one alive that could sway her from her goal. It was a quality that had always drawn him to her, even when it made him want to shake some sense into her.

Just as he was about to give the command to move out again, a grunt from Wolverine caught his attention.

"Look here Red. I know you want to look for this kid and all, but where?" he spread his arms out in an encompassing gesture. "She could be anywhere, and it could take us days to find her. I can't pick up anything from the woods around here, it's like there's nothing out o' the ordinary. And unless you have some way to sense where we should look… " he let his words fade out and he shrugged.

They all knew he was right. It was also inevitable that their jet would be spotted. They could not afford to be discovered here. That could be all that was needed to spark an Anti-Mutant uprising in this already charged up area. They had to stay hidden at all costs.

Jean looked over and met Wolverine's eyes. "I know the risks Logan, I understand that we can't be here for long. But we have to at least try!" She looked around at the others, then at the woods around them, a thoughtful look on her face. "Right before she left, she was looking in that direction." she pointed in the direction of a residential area they had seen on a map when they were coming in. "We can look in that direction first. If we don't find her within a few hours, well… then we'll leave. Fair enough?" She looked at each of her teammates, holding their eyes until they each gave a nod.

Scott held her eyes the longest before nodding his consent.

They spread out after that. This time Jubilee went with Scott and Jean and Wolverine moved toward the residential area.

Wolverine was using every sense he had at his disposal, and yet he could find nothing. He was getting very frustrated. The thing that bothered him most was the fact that this kid could be in real trouble, and they could do nothing about it. And even worse, he was useless in what should have been his element.

He hated feeling helpless in any situation. Especially when a life was at stake.

About fifteen minutes later, his com unit buzzed slightly and he flicked it on.

"What?" was his gruff answer. "Find anything yet?" being out in this hot summer sun for hours was starting to wear the last of his patience thin.

"No Wolverine. We haven't found any sign of the girl. But Hank just called from the Jet and he has bad news. He picked up on a radio signal a few minutes ago. It looks like the Agents for Human Protection is in the area. Scott says it's time to be heading back, we can't afford a confrontation with them." Wolverine could hear the defeat in Jean's voice; they wouldn't be finding the kid any time soon.

"Alright, I'm on my way in." he said and turned off the com. He let out a growl of frustration and anger at the thought of those AHP's. There were few other groups as thirsty for blood as they were. They were really just murderers and kidnapers under a fancy government-funded name. And they likes of them made him sick.

He glanced around once more, and turned to head back.

Just then he heard a sound from a few feet behind him. He spun around, every muscle tensing in preparation for an attack, claws springing from his knuckles aimed in the direction of the noise. Out of the foliage ran a figure in a brown coat. Something about that person looked familiar, and Logan was only able to retract his claws and lean into her impact in time to not spear her as the girl they'd been looking for ran toward him. But he did not have time to move out of her way, and she hit him full force.

It hurt like heck, but he managed not to fall back or make a sound. An ability he had perfected over the years.

She fell back to the ground in a heap, but she quickly raised her head to look him in the eye. Approval was the first thing that ran through his mind at this action. He could tell by her posture that she was ready to fight for her life.

But as their eyes met, he saw the shock and horrified embarrassment that practically exploded on her features. And when her mouth dropped open, he could not help a small grin.

"Well kid, were do you think your going in such a hurry?" he asked. He was fighting back the urge to burst out laughing at the sight of her.

That was before he saw the blood that was pooling in her lap.

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O.O.O.O.O.O

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Well? You asked for a meeting. There you are.  


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, they are now together. Let the real (and long awaited fun) begin!

_**Chapter 7**_

"Well kid, were do you think your going in such a hurry?" his voice was deep and gravelly as he spoke. And for some reason, those feelings that I'd been listening to lately, told me I was safe now. Well, as safe as a Mutant with the police or AHP on her tail can be. I realized that he was still standing there looking at me, waiting for an answer, and a smile tugging at the corners of his face. So, I gasped one out,

"I'm running…she tried to kill me…AHP chasing me…gotta get out of here."

I could not think of anything else to say, nor do I think I would have been able to say anything other then that. My chest felt like it was about to explode, and so did my head. My arm was burning and the scratchy feel of the coat against it was not helping. I shifted it slightly, trying to push the coat harder onto the wound.

His eyes immediately moved to my coat, and he must have just then noticed the blood that was covering me. A flash of concern passed over his face and he bent down next to me. His eyes again locked with mine and he spoke firmly but calmly, as he reached for me.

"Now look here kid, I'm not gonna hurt you. Tell me where you're bleeding."

I met his stare with one of my own, trying to find any reason not to trust him. But I couldn't. I nodded my head, but kept my eyes on his as I undid my coat, revealing the blood-soaked pajamas I still had on, and pulled my arm away from my chest.

His eyes widened a little as he looked at my arm. His hands felt rough as he touched the cut and I tried not to wince. I could tell he was trying not to hurt me even if it did. He moved his hand quickly and I winced again. He pulled his hand back a little and said quietly,

"I said I'm not gonna hurt you kid. Don't start fightin' me."

He continued to look at my arm, probably trying to find the cut through all the blood. Just looking at it was making me dizzy. Maybe that was the blood loss talking. The little creature around my neck was pulsating franticly, and that only made me feel woozier.

What the guy did next surprised me; he reached up and ripped a sleeve off the strange yellow and black outfit he was wearing. For a moment, fear took hold. What in the world was he about to do to me? But my fears were laid to rest when he used the sleeve to rap my wounded arm. I had to fight off a cry of pain when he pulled the dressing tight against it.

"Ok, that's just a bit of a patch job kid; until we get you someplace to fix you up better."

He stood up and reached down for me. I could tell that he planned to pick me up to carry me. I jumped up and took a few steps back, almost falling when my world seemed to spin. I was still keeping my eyes on him as I said,

"My arm is hurt, not my legs. I can walk just fine. And where is this place you're planning on taking me?" my voice came out angrier, and more frightened than I'd meant it to be. But that did not seem to bother him. The amused look came back into his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a voice from behind him.

"Well right now we can take you to our jet. Our doctor can stitch that arm up. Then we can discus where to go from there. And I too, give you my word that nothing will happen to you." Both I and this Wolverine fellow turned to look at the red-headed woman. She was standing quietly a few yards from us. I noticed that the black haired man smiled slightly when she showed up, and I felt the same feelings of trust for her as I had for him. I only wished I knew where they were coming from. With a sigh, I nodded.

"Ok, I don't know why, but I trust you. So I'll come along."

My voice was returning to normal and I could finally breath right again. So I was hoping that I did not sound like a total idiot. The woman smiled kindly at me, motioning toward the way she had come from. I started walking and followed her. Wolverine stayed behind me, like he was guarding our retreat. For some reason, I felt safer with him doing this.

Part of me was completely amazed that I would be so stupid as to go with a group of people I knew nothing about. They could be taking me to one of those Mutant camps for all I knew. I thought about running. But a quick look back at the dark haired guy changed my mind on that. He looked like he could have tracked me to the ends of the Earth with no trouble whatsoever. A strange feeling was coming off of him and the woman… Jean Grey I think was her name. I could not place where I had felt it before, but I knew it from somewhere.

It was just then that I heard the sound of the police sirens in the distance, followed by the vibrating whir of a helicopter. I looked to the man behind me and asked,

"Your friend said you came in a jet right?" he nodded, "Well, are you expecting anyone in a helicopter?" one of his eyebrows rose again as he regarded me, then the woman called Jean Grey said

"No we were not. Why do you ask?"

I looked at her with confusion, wondering why they could not hear the sound of the now very loud copter. I said

"Can't you hear it? It sounds like it is pretty close." she looked at me with the same amount of confusion, and then she turned to the Wolverine man, a question in her eyes. He looked up and I can tell he was listening really hard. Just then, a look of surprise came over his face. And he looked from Jean to me, and then back again.

"I can here it now, but it's a very long way off. It is still very quiet, even to me. It has to be more then four miles at least." That last part was said with just a little amazement in his voice as he looked at me again. I stared right back at him, realizing that I must be hearing it with my mutation.

"Then we need to hurry and get to safety." Jean Grey said, and we continued on our way.

A few moments later we were still walking. The sound of the sirens was now easily heard, and they loud noise was not helpful to my pounding temples. I knew that I had to be suffering from blood loss, but the knowledge that I was being pursued kept me moving. That is, until I tripped on a branch. I felt myself falling to the ground, and some one's arms catching me. My world proceeded to spin at what felt like a hundred miles an hour. The arms felt like the Wolverine man's but my vision and senses were now so blurry I could not focus enough to be sure.

I could tell that I was lifted up into the air, like I was being carried. And then a minute or so later, the person carrying me started to run and I knew that we were being followed.

Finally the dizziness lessened and I could open my eyes a little. The trees around us were moving pretty fast, and I was a little surprise at the speed this guy was moving. I lifted my head a little just as he was slowing down. We were leaving the tree line and I could see that we were in a clearing. I noticed that the brown haired guy and the Asian girl from earlier were also head toward the middle of the clearing. But I could not understand why, there was nothing there.

So you can guess my surprise when the face of what looked like a blue gorilla popped out of thin air and motioned for us to hurry. As we got closer, I could see what looked like the vague outline of a jet. Except, how many jets have you seen that are invisible? Well I hadn't seen any before that day. The guy carrying me stepped up on what must have been a ramp, and then I could see the inside of the ship. It looked kind of like a cross between a regular first class airplane, and the bridge from an old Star-Trek show. Maybe I was being abducted by visitors from outer space? I kept waiting for that weird guy in a suit to step out and say "This is the Twilight Zone." That might just have been my dizziness talking.

But at the moment I did not have time to thing it over or consider how weird this all seemed. Because it was at that moment I saw who was sitting in what must have been the pilots' seat; the gorilla man. I had thought that was just another not-funny joke my head was playing.

But there he was, and as Wolverine carried me a bit further into the plane, he stood up and turned toward us. His deep blue eyes were gentle, and surprisingly, full of concern as he looked at me. I don't know why that was so shocking. He then looked up as the other three came into the jet.

His voice was deep and pleasant as he spoke to them.

"My friends, it seems that we have an unpleasant situation on out hands." his large had motioned toward a screen with several beeping lights.

"Our AHP acquaintances seem to be closing in on us. But I do not believe they have detected our presence as of this moment." his voice sounded very intelligent and some how that didn't surprise me. In spite of his appearance, his eyes looked like they held a great amount of knowledge.

"Alright." Scott, who seemed to be their leader said firmly. "Beast, I'll take over the console. You take our guest to the sick bay. She is in need of your healing abilities." with that he moved to the front of the jet, Jean and the girl…. Jubilee, following.

The one called Beast came toward me and Wolverine with his arms out, I have to admit, I was coming close to freaking out. This was getting to be a bit too much for me to handle at the moment and I'm not afraid to say I was really scared.

So, no matter how gentle his eyes were, when he reached for me, I tensed and tightened my grip on Wolverine's shoulder. I was clutching at him so tight I wouldn't be surprised if he still has nail marks to this day.

And to my full and complete embarrassment, he chuckled.

"It's ok kid. Beast here ain't gonna hurt you. He'll fix you up good." his voice was soft as he told me this and I looked between them; trying to fight off the urge to scream. But I figured, if they were good people, I had nothing to fear, and if they weren't, I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

So I made my muscles relax and let go of Wolverine. Beast was extremely gentle as he lifted me to his own chest. His fur was so soft that I found myself calming down a lot. I was ok as he started walking, but I got a little nervous when I realized that he was taking me from the main cockpit. I must have tensed up again because he spoke to me.

"Do not worry my dear. I give you my solemn word that I will not hurt you. I only wish to help you."

I stopped worrying when we reached the sick room. He placed me on a bed gentle, but I couldn't help but wince in discomfort. I felt the jet take off a few seconds later and I clung to the side rails on the bed. I was feeling sick from the pain and I was worried about flying without seatbelts. Beast must have been able to sense what I was thinking because he rested his hand on my shoulder and said comfortingly,

"Do not worry dear girl. Scott is an excellent pilot. We are very safe in his capable hands. Now, would it be permissible for me to look at that wound of yours?" he said it so kindly that I did not even think of refusing. I slowly stopped clutching my arm to my chest and tried to hold it out for him to see.

As I did that, I looked up into his eyes, and saw that he was smiling at me. I grinned at him weakly as he looked my arm.

His hands were very gentle as he probed the wound, and I hardly felt a thing at first. But I was very nervous about his touching it. You know if your hurt and someone touches near the wound you keep expecting it to hurt and you tense up? Well, that's how I felt. And to make matters worse, the thing wrapped around my neck did not like him touching me either. It was now vibrating again, really fretfully.

And then it happened. Later I would look back at that next moment, and I'd have to cover my mouth to hide the laughter. But right then, I was more terrified then I'd ever been before.

Beast was still examining my arm, and like I said before I was waiting for it to hurt. So I'd pretty much worked my mind into a frenzy about how painful it would be if he did touch it. So when he did, though it hurt very much, it seemed a lot more painful then it really was.

I cried out and pulled my arm away, and at the same moment the little vine had had enough, and leaped from my neck strait at Beast's throat! I screamed for it to stop as he jumped back, tripping over something and landing on his furry blue behind. The only thought in my mind was that it was going to try and kill him. I realized later that I knew that because I was feeling its intentions in my mind.

But at the moment things happened to fast for me to have noticed. For one, the little creature stopped in mid air. Just froze about 6" from his neck. I saw Beast look toward the door and smile, so I turned to look too. Standing there was the woman called Jean. She had one hand stretched out, pointed at the little one, with an angry look on her face. I did not know what she was planning to do, but the emotions I was picking up from my little hitch hiker had gone from fierce protector to terrified baby. And I knew I could not let anyone hurt him.

"Stop!" I said, dragging my sore body off the cot. "Don't hurt him. This is my fault not his. He was only trying to protect me!" _Wait a second. _I remember thinking_. When did I start thinking of this thing as a he? Never mind_, I had other problems at the moment. I managed a step toward Jean, but had to grab a hold of the wall so as not to pass out. "Please. Just don't hurt him."

Both Jean and Beast turned and looked at me in surprise. Some of the fury in Jean's eyes left, and I knew I had a chance to talk to her. But she spoke up first.

"You know what this thing is?" her eyes held a questioning look. "It is one of the creatures that tried to kill me back in the forest. It's dangerous."

"No it's not. He never meant to hurt you back there. He was scared, like he is now." I look over at the little thing and tried to think of a way to convince her.

"Why is it here with you?" she asked.

_Good question. _I thought. Why was it here? I have to admit, I had not had time to think about anything because it was all happening so fast. Between the fight for my life with Gertrude and then my run through the woods and meeting with these X-Men, I had completely forgotten about him. And how did I know that he wasn't dangerous? Somehow, I just did.

"I don't know. He attached himself to my neck when I was in the woods, and he has been there since. He only got upset when he thought I was being hurt. I promise it won't happen again."

She regarded me for a moment, and then her attention went back to the one in question. Her brows furrowed in confusion and I turned to see what she was looking at.

The little twig was still suspended in the air, but he was moving. Not fast or anything, but still moving, slowly towards me. I looked back at Jean and the concentration on her face, and I realized she was not trying to let him move. But he was, though I could tell it was hard for him. I took a step toward him, and reached out my hand. I heard a small gasp from Jean's direction, but I did not look back. He started moving faster and when he got to me he twined tightly around my arm, and then he moved up to my neck. There, like before, he snuggled up under my ear and started vibrating happily. It gave me such a calm feeling that I started to fall asleep. Unfortunately, I was still standing up, so I started falling.

I never hit the floor though. It felt like some unseen hand was holding me aloft. Then I felt Beast gentle arms wrap around me and then place me on the bed. Then I could hear his voice along with Jean's as they spoke.

It's a good thing you where here to catch her. In her state it would have been most damaging to her if she were to suffer any more trauma of any kind." Beast was stating as he went back to checking, and then bandaging my arm.

"I'm glad too. But what I can't understand is how that thing was able to move through my telekinetic hold on it. It should not have been able to even twitch, and it moved across half the room!" even from my almost sleep state I could feel the confusion in her.

"I have never seen anything of the like before either." was Beast's reply. "But perhaps the Professor can shed some light on the situation when we reach the mansion." Her answer was muffed, as if she was leaving the room, and after that I don't remember anything.

Well, I suppose that is what happens when you pass out right??

Yes I know, still a little slow. But I'm having a hard time building to the point where she gets to the mansion. But it will happen in the next chapter. Ok, here is a little something for you. Can anyone guess who the first X-Man she will meet when she wakes up is?

Hint: It's not one of the ones who were on the jet.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey every one! I'm not dead!! I'm here and so is another chapter! I'm so sorry to all my loyal fans who I've made wait for me on this. I had a case of lost-muse and I couldn't get on with this. I had to redo it 3 or 4 times before I could get it right. And even now I'm not so sure. Please tell me what you think, and then I'll know if I did it right. :)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now, for my fans:

**Jinx Author**I'm glad that you're still around! I missed seeing you're name on my reviewing screen. Thanks again! Sorry it wasn't Bobby, but I like the socking idea. I might have to add that… runs off to make note**kalika55: **Thanks! I'm glad you thought it was good! I love getting new fans and readers! Don't worry, I'll explain her powers as soon as I know them for certain.

**CL 9 3 11 0 9 5**I'm here! I did update! Glad you reviewed by the way. :) I love the name Cassandra. You're lucky

**-SoulMama-**And to you, my first, and most loyal reviewer. I'm REALLY sorry that it took me SO long to get this up. Thanks for sticking with me sniff. Oh, and are we still going to write that story together? You haven't e-mailed me in a LONG time.

**allenterrill**I hope you'll read this before you go vacationing. :) And I'm glad you liked it. :)

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_**Chapter 8**_

Like I said before, I don't remember much of anything from the ride in the jet. I think I might have heard voices muttering above me, and at one point, I think I felt my little passenger vibrating. But I can't be sure of any of that. It was more of a really fuzzy dream that you can never again recall after you've woken from it.

As I slept my mind was filled with dreams. I could make sense of just about none of them. Some where of my family, before the crash, and other's where visions of them afterward. I fought off the horrible images of their dead faces, trying desperately to escape them. But it seemed like a long time before those things faded away.

I had other dreams as well. Pictures of people I had never seen before filled my brain, snippets of conversation that I know I had never participated in. Name of people I had never met, or seen before. I recognized a few of the many images that flashed by as ones I'd seen when my mutation fully surfaced. When I had been in the forest with the man speaking to my mind. At first I thought it was my wounded head playing evil tricks on me, but after a while I got the feeling that I was looking at REAL things. Nothing pretend.

Even so, after a while of dreaming, I began to wake up.

The next thing I do remember for certain was the sound of singing. I'd never heard the likes of it before, and I still haven't to this day. I think the only way I might be able to describe it, is the sound that the breeze makes through wind chimes. Soft and whispered, it made me think of early spring mornings at my family's cabin. I always use to wake up to wind chimes there. And for the briefest of moments, I allowed myself to believe that this was all just a really bad dream. I was still with my family on that last and wonderful vacation together, and I would open my eyes to the log ceiling of my sister and my tiny room. We'd wake up at almost the same time, and race down the hall way to where Mom and Dad would be making breakfast in the little kitchen.

Slowly my eyes did open, and snapped shut at the bright glow above me. I stopped myself from crying as my brain processed the fact that this was defiantly not our cabin. Our cabin had never had florescent lights on the ceiling.

I waited a moment before trying out my eyes again. I opened them to mere slits this time. Only enough for them to start getting adjusted to the light. I realized that the light wasn't that bright at all, it was really rather dim. I guess that my eyes had just had a shock to the light after being closed.

As I looked around, I was able to open my eyes more and more. My vision stopped being blurry and stopped hurting too.

The only word that I could have used to describe the place I was in is a hospital. The ceiling, walls, and floor where white and the lighting looked just like that of any other hospital. For a terrifying second, I thought that I might be dreaming about when I had woken up in the hospital after our family's car crash. I didn't think I could stand too see that again.

But that fear was laid to rest a moment later. I sat up slightly to get a better look, and I could see that this was unlike any hospital I'd ever been in before.

I was in an open room on one of about 15 beds scattered around the edges. Mine was the only occupied one. It was a fairly large room; not at all crowded despite the many different machines and apparatuses that were stationed in and out around the beds. I only could recognize a few of them, like the X-ray and MRI. But the rest were completely foreign to me.

I also noticed that my cloths were gone. I was dressed in nothing but a hospital gown. Someone must have changed it out for my bloody pajamas. Ok, freaky, creepy and not a nice thought.

A ways away from me was a desk pushed against the opposite wall. Sitting there was the man from the jet; Beast. He had his head bent over a stack of papers and for a moment I thought he was reading them. But then a soft snore rose up from his throat, and I realized that he was sound asleep. I couldn't help a little smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. He looked so peaceful there. I could not bring myself to call out and wake him up.

The singing was still going on, and I turned my head to find the source of it.

A ways away from the desk, her back turned toward me, was a woman. She was looking over something on a screen, her finger running through the air in front of it as if she was looking for something. She was tall and slender, with a gracefulness that filled her entire presence. The only really distinguishing feature I could see from my angle was her long, white hair. From her stance I didn't think she would have been old enough for white hair. But I couldn't tell for certain. It fell in waves down her back, flowing like a river of platinum colored silk. I couldn't understand the words in the song she was singing, but I didn't have to. They were beautiful all the same.

I pulled myself up and leaned against the back board of the bed listening. I wished that she'd go on singing that song forever. I also hoped that she'd turn around so I could get a better look at her.

I felt a vibrating on my neck, and looked down in surprise at my little passenger. I had forgotten that he was there. He moved from his former position, slowly sliding down my shoulder and into my lap. Once there, he rose up as if standing. The little knobby part of him that looked like a head was pointed toward our un-knowing entertainer. My smile grew as I saw that he was listening too. And then it struck me. He could hear? I didn't see any ears on him, was that even possible? Then again, a lot of impossible things seemed to be happening to me lately.

We listened together for a few moments, just enjoying the peace and quite that had been lacking in my life these past few days. I rubbed my arm; I had noticed that it had been bandaged up while I was sleeping. I was grateful for that, but that didn't seem to help the painful soreness that seemed to have taken over my entire shoulder. At least I could move it around though.

The song came to a gentle ending, and I looked up. The woman was bent over close to the screen; studying something intently. After a moment she straitened up and sighed slightly, she sounded tired.

"That was a beautiful song." I said softly so as not to wake the sleeping man next to us. She turned around quickly and looked at me in surprise.

I was finally able to get a good look at her, and I was just as surprised. She was one of the most stunning women I had ever seen. Her skin was the color of creamy mocha coffee, and completely devoid of any blemishes that I could see. But I think the most interesting thing about her was her eyes. They were a clear sky blue that seemed to shin with a light of their own. I was a little envious of them, but they did fit her perfectly. She not only looked extremely graceful, but her demeanor was regal in quality. Sitting there looking at her made me think of a powerful queen or a ruler. She was amazing. A word buzzed at the back of my mind, I didn't know what it meant, but I knew it had something to do with her.

She stared at me for a moment before slowly coming closer.

"Thank you. I hope I did not wake you though." her voice when she was just talking still sounded like wind chimes. I wondered if she had trained herself to sound like that, or if it was a natural born talent.

I shrugged my shoulders, wincing inwardly at the pain that shot through my arm.

"You didn't. I think I was about ready to wake up as it was. I'm just glad it was to something that sounded so beautiful." She smiled at me then, and I couldn't help but grin back at her.

"It was a song my mother use to sing to me when I was very young. It is one of the few things I remember about her." She sat gently on the edge of my bed, her eyes moving to the little pink creature sitting in my lap. He seemed to be looking at her as well, his little head-knob twisted slightly to the side as if in concentration. I laughed softly at that, and she let out a quiet chuckle as well.

She motioned toward him with one elegant hand and said,

"When we first brought you in here, he put up a bit of a fuss." Worry made the smile on my face fade as I thought about what had happened on the ride here. I reached down and cupped him gently, pulling him a bit closer to me.

"He didn't try to hurt anyone did he?" I asked.

"No. Not at all. He did not seem to want us being to near to you. He kept stretching out over the top of you; as if trying to shield you from something. It took a while in both occasions for him to calm down enough for us to get close to you." She lifted a hand to forestall any apologies I might have made.

"Do not feel upset over this child. He was doing what he thought was best to protect you. His courage in the face of so many giants is a wonderful thing." That kept me from saying anything for a moment, but my smile came back relieved. I was glad nothing had gone too wrong.

She returned my smile and patted my knee gently. Then with a graceful movement she offered me her hand.

"I'm sorry dear, I have not yet introduced myself. My name is…" _Storm_. My mind whispered….."Ororo Munro." she said. I took the offered hand in mine, but I felt my smile fade a bit. Where had that name come from? I was sure with all my heart that Storm was the name she was about to say.

"I was so sure it was Storm." I didn't realize that I had whispered that out loud until her hand pulled back a bit in surprise.

"What makes you say that?" Her voice held a nervous, even defensive tone, and the vine in my lap tensed at it.

I thought about that question for a moment, wondering how indeed.

"I'm not sure." I said thoughtfully. "I was just so sure that was it. I'm sorry if I offended you."

She looked at me closely for a second. Her eyes gazing at me as if you make certain that I was not a threat. "No, you did not insult me. I was only surprised that you knew my code name."

The images from my dreams began flashing rapidly through my head, this time with a great deal of pain. I pulled my hand from her gentle grasp, and with a groan, leaned my head into both hands. Before I could stop I found myself saying.

"Almost all of the X-Men have code names, right? Only Jean Grey and Rogue don't go by anything other then that. Well that's when Jean is not going by 'Phoenix'."

Even through the growing pain in my head I could sense the shock and confusion in her. But to my surprise there was no anger. If someone had started spouting off random things about my life, I would have been mad as all get out.

At that moment it felt like my head was about to explode the pain was growing so fast. So many memories and thoughts that weren't my own flooded my mind. I felt the little vine start vibrating desperately as he moved again to wrap around my neck. I kept rubbing my temples hard, trying to ease the hurt. I felt a wetness coming from my nose; I ran one of my hands across it but only vaguely did my brain register the blood that was pouring out.

Though it seemed as if from far away, I heard Storm call out for 'Hank' to come quickly. I should have wondered who that was but my mind flashed me a picture of the blue Beast, and I knew that was his real name.

Out of the corner of my slatted eye I could see him jump from his sleeping position, knocking a pile of papers and such off his desk, and run toward us. I felt his hands gently touch my shoulders and start pushing me down. The vine growled at this action, but as I lay down willingly he seemed to know that I wasn't about to be harmed.

He began to vibrate gently and calmingly, trying to help me through the pain. I could feel small impressions of his own pain and then I knew that he felt whatever I did. I wanted to block that from him, so he wouldn't suffer, but I didn't know how. Nor did I have the strength to try anything.

I felt rather then saw Hank and Ororo/Storm (I didn't know which to call her) rushing around me, trying to help in any way they could. Despite the pain and suffering I was in, I had never before felt so safe. And I knew that they would do everything in their power to help me.

The pain got so bad at one point that I passed out from it. I wasn't out of it for more then a few minutes though. And I don't think I was even fully out. I could hear the vague sounds of my caregivers worried talking. The pain slowly began to fade and I started to come around. I kept my eyes closed as I let out a deep sigh. _Will the fun with me and my head never end?_

Storm came up on my right, and I could hear the doctor moving around in the direction of my feet. She started gently stroking my head with her cool hands. But she didn't say anything. I think that she might have been afraid of setting my headache off again.

Without opening my eyes I voiced the fear that I'd just been thinking of,

"Will nothing ever be right again?" my voice was a lot quieter then I'd meant it to be, and I sounded more depressed and hopeless then I ever had before.

She didn't say anything, and I sighed again. I knew she didn't want to give me false hope when she herself did not know if I'd be okay. I was grateful for that, I was sick and tired of false hopes.

I opened my eyes and started to sit up, shaking my head a bit to clear it. Bad idea. It sent a pain through my eyes sharp enough to make me wince. I felt hands on either side of me and looked up to see the anxious faces of the two people. They both looked so different, and yet their expressions were so much alike that I couldn't help a small chuckle. I think that surprised them, they must have thought I was insane or something of the sort.

"My dear, mayhap you should remain lying down. We would not want you to have another attack like that in your already exhausted condition." Hank's voice was even fuller of concern then his face. To my own, and his, surprise I reached out and patted his shoulder saying,

"I'm alright. I just need to sit and breathe for a minute. Then I'll be right as rain." Of course I didn't know if that was true or not, but I figured it would make them stop worrying so much.

They let me go after I was comfortably situated against the headboard again, and I relaxed. Storm pulled up a chair and sat beside me. I smiled at her gratefully. Hank gazed at me worriedly before saying,

"Do you think you are up to answering a few questions my dear? I know you must be tired, but I believe them to be important." I nodded and he began.

"First off I would like to inquire as to your name. You are acquainted with that of Ororo's. And my name is Dr. Hank McCoy. You have been here for some time, and yet we know not your own designation." His tone indicated a question, and I knew he wouldn't press me if I chose not to answer. But luckily, my parents hadn't raised a full out barbarian, so I wasn't going to be rude.

I sat up a little straighter, and with a smile I offered him my good hand to shake.

"My name is Cassandra. Cassandra Noelle McFaegan. But you can call me Casey." He broke out into a toothy grin and mine grew to match his as we shook hands. I finally felt the pained, nervous sensations on my neck start to fade into soft calm vibrations. I turned to Storm and we also shook hands.

I turned my attention back to Hank as he said,

"I would also like to raise the question of your injury." The smile on my face faded, and I lowered my head. I didn't know if I could go through that right now. But I figured they deserved an explanation since they had been talking care of me.

"Let's just say my aunt wasn't to happy with finding out that I was a mutant." I said, glancing up through my hair to gauge their reactions. His was of anger, hers of sorrow. But neither of them seemed at all surprised; as if they were use to this type of thing.

That thought led me to the heart of the matter. Where the heck was I?

"Umm…. Not to change the subject," I said "but where am I?"

That seemed to throw Hank off for a second, then he smiled again at me and said.

"How rude of me! I forgot entirely that you were not aware of our arrival, as you where incapacitated. You are in the medical bay of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters." The name Xavier sounded familiar, and I knew I heard it before. Maybe more then once. But the rest of that sentence baffled me. I wasn't in anyway gifted. I mean, I wasn't a bad student but I wasn't top of all my classes. Storm must have seen my confused look, because she said gently,

"It is a school for Mutants Casey."

Ok, that's new. I'd heard of camps and detention centers for mutants. But not schools. As a matter of fact, most schools had started banning Mutants from them altogether.

"I never knew there was such a thing. And I've never heard of a school by that name." The part of my mind that trusted them knew that it must exist if they said so. But the cautions part of me, the one I'd been living by for so long, screamed that this was just too weird.

"Perhaps I can lay some of your fears to rest." A powerful, yet quiet voice interrupted us from the doorway. We turned as one to look at the figure standing, or should I say sitting, there.

He looked to be in his late 40's to early 50's, but I couldn't be sure. The look of wisdom in his eyes made him appear far older then that. He was in a wheel-chair, though it was the most high tech one I'd ever seen. It looked like it had some sort of disk attached to the bottom of the seat. It looked pretty cool. I decided right then and there that if I ever had to be in one, I wanted it to look like that. Shiny chrome wheels and all.

But my eyes didn't stay on the chair for long, they were drawn to the back to the person. He was bald, and his head seemed polished enough to use as a mirror. I wondered if he shined it, or if that was natural. He had kind and intelligent blue eyes, and set of slight dimples on his cheeks when he smiled. He was wearing kaki pants and a dark blue polo dress shirt. The short sleeves showed off muscular arms that didn't seem to belong to a man stuck in an automatic chair all the time. His skin was a light tan, and I could tell that he wasn't the type to spend all day indoors, despite his condition.

He reminded me strongly of my Grandpa. He has lost his legs fighting in Vietnam and had spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. But it had never seemed to get to him. He lived his life to the fullest, and he had the most loving and wonderful personality that you could ever imagine.

I liked this chair-bound man instantly, perhaps just because he was something vaguely familiar in an otherwise alien situation.

But as I continued to look at him, a strange feeling of recognition began to grow in me. It was a LOT stronger then any of the others I had felt. As a matter of fact, the intensity of it surprised me. I knew that I had not only seen him before, but I knew that we had talked. And above all, that he was trustworthy. I didn't say anything though, pushing those thoughts aside. I didn't want to pass out again. Not in front of him anyway.

He pressed a switch on his chair and began to roll toward my bed, stopping when he reached my side. I saw the looks of respect and love in the eyes of my two caregivers, and I knew from that that he was very dear to them.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"My name is Professor Charles Xavier. I am the founder of this school. I must say Cassandra, that I am very pleased to see that you are awake and well. I will answer any and all questions that you might have. I only ask in return that you trust me. I only wish to help you."

I froze when he said that, those last few words echoing in my mind. I knew then and there where I knew him from.

"You're the man I talked to in the woods! When all this first started happening! You are the one that exploded that….whatever it is you did…. into my mind!" I was so shocked to come face to face with him, that I just stared at him after that. I didn't know what else I could say.

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Originally, this chapter went on for another 11 pages, and I still wasn't done with it. So I decided, that instead of making you wait, I would post it up now. Hehehe…. I am pure and simple evil aren't I?

Anyway, like I said, Read and Review. It's the only way I'm going to post another chapter. :) I'll see y'all later!


	9. Chapter 9

**Announcement Everyone!!!** Yes, I have changed my pen name. Please don't throw things at me. But I wanted to tell y'all so you'd know it was still me. :D

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**_rogue4eva:_** I'm glad you reviewed so soon after the last chapter! And thank you, I like having descriptive stories, and that you think it is so is a great complement!

_**Lady Queria:**_ You have no idea how wonderful is is to know that you like this story so much. I hope that you will continue to read it, and I'd bet the very plot of my stories that you COULD do something just as great if you put your mind to it! so start writing! I expect to read some great things from you!

**_Rycr:_** I hope to get to the explanation of her powers in the next chappy. I think you're going to like it.

**_allenterrill:_** Hey !! You better get the next chapter to your story up soon or I'm goning to die. And if I can get mine up, then you can too. :) I'm glad Cassey is cool. It means I'm doing my job reasonably well. :) Glad you liked the cliff hanger, there will be many more to come. -evil laugh-

_**Livinlikeawolf:**_ I think you will also like what I've done with Cassey's abilities. I don't like it when characters have way to many super gifts either, but I've made Cassey's VERY unique. I think it might surprise you. I'm glad you like her name too. :) Cassandra is one of my favorite names

**_Jinx Author:_** Yeah!! You reviewed! I hope since I took so long you don't get mad or bored and decide not to review or read again. I think that would bring me to tears. -sniff- And I hope you don't mind long chapters, because this one is HUGE! I couldn't find a place to cut it off to make it shorter! Please review again!

Thanks to everyone that reviewed! And please read the note at the bottom when you're done with the story! I hope I haven't made anyone one so mad that they won't read anymore, I just haven't been able to find the muse to write on this until now. I hope the long chapter makes up for it some.

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I surprised him with that little statement. He cocked his head to the side slightly. His brows arched and his eyes widened, giving him the look of a shocked bobble-head doll. When I thought that, I almost laughed. I think I would have if I hadn't been so stunned myself.

He leaned forward a bit, eyes glinting with amazement.

"You remember that?" His voice was as surprised as the rest of his features.

"Yeah, I mean, you almost blew up my brain." I said, a little bit of a sarcastic edge to my voice. How could he think I wouldn't remember such a _small, __insignificant_ detail as that?

I regretted saying that the moment it left my lips. His eyes filled with sadness and repentance the likes of which I don't even want to think about ever again. As if my bringing up that single thing had caused him to remember some painful burden. He reached out and placed a kind hand on my knee, and said in a tired voice,

"And for that Cassandra, I am so much more than sorry. When I first became aware of you and reached out, I was surprised when you did the same." He paused for a moment, and I thought I might have seen a flickering of shame in his eyes. "So surprised in fact, that I put up mental blocks around my mind, trying to shield myself from what I thought might be some sort of an attack by another powerful mutant." He sighed softly, "But as the backlash from my blocks flew outward, and you did not defend yourself, I realized my mistake.

You weren't some malevolent individual, but an untrained child. It was too late for me to stop what was happening, and then I lost your signal. I sent out some of my best associates to locate you, though I did not expect them to recover you alive. You would not believe my shock and relief when they contacted me on their return, informing me of your status."

He stopped after that, and I was pretty sure he meant it. Something about the way he was still looking at me.

I placed my hand over the top of his, giving it a slight squeeze. Any anger I might have been feeling, had left the moment he apologized.

"It's ok sir. I know you didn't mean for what happened to happen." I thought back to that afternoon and said. "I think I knew it then too. Ever since, whatever it was that happened with us, I've felt like I can trust you." I looked at him really hard then, the logical part of my mind still telling me to find a reason not to rely on anything he said. But I promptly shoved that back where it came from.

Most of me was just so sick and tired of not having any faith in people.

"I am glad that you harbor no ill feelings toward me for the pain you went through Cassandra. I was worried that, should you find out about it, you would come to fear us. And as I said before, I want nothing more than to help you through this transitioning period."

It was about then that what he had been saying filtered into my brain.

"So that means you're a mutant too?" I said. I knew that I had been in the company of mutants, but it hadn't _**really**_ sunk in until now. "Dr. McCoy and Ms. Munroe said that this was a school for mutants. I guess that means they are mutants, and the others who helped me too? If you were able to contact me from New York that means you'd have to be one. Right? And wait a minute! How did you know my name when you first came down here? I only just told the others a few moments ago!" I knew I was rambling. But I was starting to get nervous with all these new facts clamoring for front row attention in my brain.

He held up his hands in mock surrender, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"Slow down Cassandra. I am happy to answer all your questions. But you must slow down for me to be able to do so.

I knew your name because Dr. McCoy contacted me using the sick-bay com-unit a short while after you had awoken. I had asked him to do so, so that I might meet you and explain some of what must be very frightening circumstances for you.

Yes I am a mutant. I have an ability called telepathy. It allows me to read other people's thoughts and, though I rarely do so, to control their minds. I can also reach out with my mind and find other mutants. With the aid of a machine we call Cerebro, I can 'look' almost anywhere in the world.

And yes, the people who helped you, along with Storm and Beast, are mutants. They are teachers here, and members of a group called the…."

"X-Men." I finished for him. The name was the one most repeated in my brain. Every time I saw a picture of something, or someone, that name was overlaid along with it.

"Yes Cassandra, the X-Men." He nodded affirmatively at me. Again he seemed a little surprised that I had known it. I felt like I needed to clarify how I did, the images that just talking to him were bringing up were painful, but fascinating. And I wanted to know more.

"That name keeps coming up in my head. I keep seeing faces of people that I've never met before, and with some of them, the name 'X-Men' just seems to pop up." I said, rubbing my temples as I felt another streak of pain shoot through me.

I felt Dr. McCoy's hand on my arm and I looked up to smile reassuringly at him.

"I'm ok; it's not as bad as the other times." I said, and he nodded. "But Professor," I said, turning back to him "what _exactly_ are the X-Men?"

He his fingers formed a steeple in front of his face as his eyes took on a faraway look.

"The X-Men are a group of mutants that, like you, were once lost in the discovery of their powers, when I found them and asked if they wished to join me here. I created this school as a safe haven for mutants. That was before people actually knew about us. But I knew that when we were discovered, there would be many people who were very afraid of us. And I wanted to be able to help them without the fear of others' hostility.

I believe that both humans and mutants can live in this world peacefully, together. But there are those that do not." His eyes clouded over as he said that, and I had a feeling he knew someone closely that was in that category.

"So, I trained these young students in the use of their powers, and after a time, some of them formed the team they affectionately called the 'X-men'. The goal is that we may be an example for both mutants and humans in this world; to show them that we can all indeed live as one."

I could tell that he really believed in what he was telling me, even if I was a bit skeptic. Now don't get me wrong, I think it is a wonderful concept. I would more than love to live in a world that wasn't hate-filled. It's an amazing and humbling thought. But I had seen the way mutants were treated on the news. The way they were talked about and made fun of a school; the way my own aunt had treated me. And I really couldn't see us all coming together in one great big group hug of loviness.

But that might just have been me.

I didn't tell him any of this though, and I REALLY hoped that he wasn't reading my mind.

"Wow." Yeah I know, not the most intelligent of exclamations, but I was still in surprise mode. "It sounds really amazing."

He smiled at me then, and his dimples appearing on either cheek. He continued,

"That is why I'd like to offer you a place here, amongst others like you. _Other m__utants_. You will receive the best training I or any other teacher here can give you in the use of your powers; as well as a full education and place to live. I want to offer you a place where you can _**belong**_."

It was everything I had ever wanted, or could ever want. A place where I'd not only fit in with others, but where I was wanted as well. Even before I knew I was a mutant I wanted what he was now offering me. But some part of me just kept whispering that it couldn't be true. It was too wonderful a gift to have been given to me after all I'd been through. I didn't know how I could accept it.

I sat there for several minutes, just thinking; trying to form some conclusion from the medley of thoughts rampaging through my mind. There didn't seem to be any impatience coming from the Professor, but I knew I couldn't keep him sitting there forever.

Beast and Storm had backed off a bit during our conversation. But I caught them looking at me, and I thought I saw a flash of hope in each of their eyes. As if they too, wanted me to say yes.

_But why?_ I asked myself. _Why would they care what happened to me? I had really only just met them._

But for some reason they did.

Even though I didn't know if I believed in what the Professor said they stood for, I really couldn't help admiring them. For some reason, a few of them had been willing to risk their lives to come help me. I think that was the thing that made the decision final in my mind.

My eyes met those of the Professor again, and with a small sigh I gave him the only answer I could. It was the complete and honest truth, and I didn't have any other way to say it.

"Well sir. I've always wanted to find a place where I fit in. And after what y'all have done for me, I guess this is the best place I can be right now."

His smile grew to encompass his whole face, as if a light had been switched on behind his eyes. I saw answering grins on those of the other two people in the room.

"I am glad that you feel that way Cassandra. I am very pleased that you will stay." His tone held a lot of warmth in it, and I nodded. But another thought crossed my mind, and I knew I had to voice it,

"But I can leave if I want to, right? I mean, you won't **make** me stay here. Will you?" I tried to keep the trepidation out of my voice, but I don't think I did very well.

His features took on an immediately serious look, and he replied,

"I would never try and force you to stay where you did not feel comfortable. If at any time you wish to go home, or to leave, neither I, nor the people here will try and stop you."

He meant it. I didn't think anyone could lie so convincingly. So I decided to believe him.

"I have one more question." I said, as another flash of strange memories passed behind my eyes.

He nodded his head encouragingly.

"After what happened in the woods, I've been having these memories." I paused as I tried to think of a way to describe them. But I came up empty.

"They're, well…" I sighed, frustrated. "They're not mine. Like I was saying before, I'm seeing all these places and people that I've never seen or even heard of before. And what's worse is that they hurt every time I go through them!"

His eyes took on a thoughtful look, and he was quiet for a moment. When he next spoke, it was with a great deal of care, as if he was worried about how I might take whatever it was that he was about to say.

"Cassandra. It is entirely possible that after our encounter in the woods, you might have taken on some of my memories." He said gently.

I only barely caught myself as my mouth dropped open, so I hoped I didn't look like too much of an idiot. But I really couldn't believe it, even though, as I thought about it, it did make sense.

Kind of.

"Does that mean you have some of my memories now to?" I asked him. He shook his head,

"No. I have mental shields that keep me from being overwhelmed by another's memories when I enter their minds. Normally it would have also kept you from entering my mind, but I was trying to reach out to you, and as I said, you surprised me when you too, reached out to me."

Ok, still really, really weird. My brain was on overload trying to process all this stuff. I let out a loud sigh,

"I don't think I'll ever get use to all of this sir." I said sadly. He chuckled softly, and I looked up as him as he patted my hand.

"I've been in the middle of this for over twenty years my dear, and I have as of yet been able to get use to it."

I sighed again, but that did make me feel a little better.

"I promise you I will do everything in my power to help you. It is possible that I might be able to remove these images and memories from your mind if you wish it. But I would rather wait until you are stronger in both body and mind before I try anything of that nature."

That wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, these headaches were pretty painful. But you don't argue with the people who know what they're talking about.

"So what happens now?" I asked. "If I'm going to be staying here, what am I suppose to do? I don't have anything here with me, no clothes or anything like that."

"You do not need to worry about that. Everything you need will be provided for you, at my expense." Xavier answered me.

I didn't really feel comfortable with that. I mean, I'd been taught that you don't ever, EVER, accept things from people you don't know. And mine was a proud family. I'd always been told that the only reason you ever accept charity from others is if you're starving, or someone in your family needed help and you couldn't give it yourself.

But it wasn't like I had the most choices at the moment. I couldn't walk around in a hospital gown, and if these people were at all smart they would have burned my ruined pajamas before I even woke up. So though reluctantly, I nodded in consent.

"Professor, what I'd really like to know is what am I suppose to do about my powers? I mean, I know you said you would help me with them, but I'm not even really sure I know what they are!" I have to admit, I was feeling a little frustrated about that.

"Ah yes, I was just about to bring that up to you." He said. "I would like to have Hank here test your abilities in a controlled environment, so that we may be able to answer some of your questions."

Great, just great. As much as I wanted to know about my powers, I wasn't thrilled about words like 'test' and 'controlled environment'. Those didn't sound at all pleasing, or fun. But like I said, I was curious, and I knew I couldn't ignore what I could do. And I was a little excited about doing what I'd done in the woods again.

"Is it alright if I get something to wear first?" I said. "I don't think I can really focus on anything while I'm wearing this." Honesty: the best, and yet most embarrassing medicine.

"Of course." This time is was Storm who answered me. "I believe that several of the other girls here are very close, if not the same size as you. I'm sure that they would not mind lending you something to wear until we can get you some things of you own."

I smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks."

"Do not mention it." She replied, smiling back at me. Then, with a nod to both the Professor and the doctor, she left the room.

I was a little surprised to see the large door open and then close behind her. It looked like it was almost a foot thick, yet it opened and closed really quickly. It reminded me of those sci-fi movies you see where they're being led into a prison or something like that. I shivered slightly at that thought, though I hoped neither of the men here would notice.

The Professor suddenly lifted his head, his eyes taking on an unclear, unfocused look. He stared into space, a frown slowly covering his features. He placed a hand to his temple, and seemed to be concentrating hard on something. I guessed that he was probably talking to someone with his mind, like he said he could. I noticed that Hank was looking at him worriedly, and I had this strange feeling of foreboding pass through me.

After a moment, the look of concentration passed, but the frown remained.

He turned his chair quickly toward Dr. McCoy and said,

"Hank, Remy just reported that he has returned I must go discuss a few matters with him. Please see that our guest here is taken care of and is comfortable." He then turned back to me, and I could tell he was trying to hide his worry behind the smile he gave me.

"I have a few matters I must attend to with a member of my team Cassandra. I do not believe that it will take me long. When I return, and if you feel up to it, we can begin studying your abilities. Until then, Hank or Ororo will see to it that you get anything you may need. "

I nodded, and with a final smile, he turned his chair around, and exited the same way Ms. Munroe had.

I turned toward Dr. McCoy, hoping that he might tell me what he thought was wrong. He was still watching the door with an apprehensive gaze, but when he caught me looking at him, he put on a somewhat forced smile and said in a reassuring voice,

"I am quite sure that everything is absolutely satisfactory. The Professor is most likely just going to greet one of the team members that have just arrived. I'm sure that everything is in perfect order." He began to shuffle some papers on his desk; I guess he wanted to look busy, like he wanted me to think everything was fine.

I wasn't buying it.

"You do know you're a terrible liar right?" I said softly.

He glanced up at me in surprise. He was about to say something when the doors opened once again.

It was my turn to look surprised as Storm re-entered the room, a small bundle of clothes in her long, delicate arms. She was followed a second later by the blue-eyed Asian girl I remembered from the woods. The name her face seemed to match was Jubilee, but I wasn't sure this time. She too was carrying a stack of clothes. Hers was a lot bigger than Storm's, and I could barely see her through all the different colors and fabrics.

Storm set her pile gently at the foot of my bed; the girl practically threw hers to get out from under it. Storm smiled at her, and then turned to me.

"Cassandra, there is someone I'd like you to meet. You might remember her from the ones who brought you here. She was among them." The girl took a step toward me, a bright grin on her face.

"Hi! The name's Jubilation Lee. But everyone around here calls me Jubilee. I'm glad to see that you're doing ok; you didn't look very well when we brought you in here. Are you feeling better? It must have been quite a shock, waking up here I mean. I know I was really surprised when I first came here."

She had to stop for breath then, and I was glad. My head was spinning and I wasn't sure which of her questions to answer first. She reminded me so much of my little brother. He had talked like that, really fast and excited. He would barely be still long enough for you to answer whatever it was he was talking to you about.

Storm and Beast shared a little smile, and I had the feeling they were use to this.

"Jubilee," Beast said in a firm voice. "give Cassandra a little time to contemplate. She's had a problematical time, and your expeditious questions might tire her!" She seemed a little put off by that, and her smile faded slightly. I was reminded again of Andrew, and I looked over at Beast.

"It's okay Dr. McCoy. I'm fine." I looked back and her and smile, offering my hand for her to shake. "Hello. I'm Cassey. I was really surprised when I first woke up, but I'm not going to go into shock or anything. And thanks for asking, I'm feeling quite a bit better now." Her smile came back, and she shook my hand vigorously.

"I'm glad you are. I hate being sick more than anything." She motioned toward the pile of clothing. "We brought you some things. Most of them are mine, but I wasn't sure if we were the same size, so I got a few things from a couple of the others."

"Thanks, I wasn't looking forward to going around in a nightgown." We both smiled at that. "I really do appreciate it."

"No problem." She said cheerily.

I knew I had made a friend. And that, more than anything else, was the comfort I had needed.

I saw Beast and Storm smiling at us as I let go of Jubilee's hand and leaned forward to look through the clothes they'd brought me. I smiled back, feeling lighter in spirit than I had in a long time. My little passenger seemed to know this, because he began purring happily under my ear.

"I didn't know what type of stuff you'd like to wear, so I grabbed a bunch of different things." Jubilee said. _**That**_ was a complete and total understatement. It looked like she had raided a clothing store. There had to be at least one of every color in the universe sitting there in front of me.

That wouldn't have been worth mentioning, except for the fact that nothing matched! Taking a glance at my new friends fashion style, I think I knew the reason for that.

She was wearing a pair of blue-jeans that had yellow, blue, and purple explosion designs covering the legs and pockets, the knees had large holes in them. Her shirt was a yellow tank-top that showed just a little of her midriff when she lifted her arms, with the words 'Shoot to Kill' printed in pretty cursive letters across the front. Her short black hair stood out in all directions, a purple and yellow headband keeping it out of her eyes. The outfit was completed with a pair of yellow flip-flops and yellow dangle earrings. All in all, guess what her favorite color was? I think I already had a pretty good idea.

Her clothes spoke of a wild personality, and a free spirit. I liked that.

I slowly started going through the different things, hoping she wouldn't be offended if I picked out a less… entertaining, outfit.

I chose a pair of black jeans that looked like they might fit me, and a bright blue t-shirt that looked comfortable, if not a little big. I was trying to take my time because I wasn't sure how to ask if there was a place I could go to change. I didn't like the idea of changing into these with other's watching me. The very thought made me shudder.

She must have caught me glancing in the adults' direction one too many times because Jubilee turned to them and said,

"Hey guys! Can you give us a bit of privacy here? I seriously doubt that Cassey wants people watching her getting dressed." They nodded and I tried to cover the fact that I was now blushing three shades of red as they left. I was a private person; I hated having attention called to me.

"Thanks." I said really softly as soon as the door had closed behind them.

"Don't mention it." She said with a grin. "You want me to wait outside too?"

"You don't have to, just don't look."I said, and she nodded seriously, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I stood up to get and a wave of dizziness crashed over the top of me. My vision blurred and I would have fallen if Jubilee hadn't grabbed a hold of my arm to steady me.

"Are you okay? You want me to call back Dr. McCoy?" She said worriedly.

The feeling began to pass and I shook my head slowly. She let me go, just keeping a hand lightly on my arm as I tested my own feet on the floor.

"No, I'm fine. It's just a little bit of dizziness. I just need to move slower for now." I said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm really fine."

"Ok, but if you need help, I'll be right here." She said as she went to sit on the bed next to mine facing the other direction.

I slowly slipped the nightgown up and off of my head, carefully keeping my balance. Bending over to put a pair of underwear and the jeans on was harder, but I managed. I found that if I just moved slowly, I could do it ok. Just like with my trip from the woods.

Jubilee kept up a steady stream of conversation while I was getting dressed. Telling me about her own mutation, and what she'd been doing before she came here. Apparently, she can create fireworks like explosives from her hands. She's been trying to learn how to make a force-field around herself with them, but the going on that was slow.

She talked a little about her parents and how they had been murdered. How she had been sent to juvi, and how she'd run away three years ago and found herself living in a mall.

That I had a hard time even fathoming; as hard as the accident had been, at least my parents hadn't been killed like that. And the thought of living alone in a mall was a daunting one; though from the way she talked about it, it sounded kind of fun.

"Weren't you lonely staying there all by yourself; with no one to talk to?" I said as I pulled the shirt over my head and moved to sit next to her.

She moved over a little to give me room, her eyes holding a thoughtful look. "Yeah, I suppose it was. I mean, I guess I didn't really have time to think about it much. I was so busy trying to stay one step ahead of the security guards and such. But sometimes I'd watch the people, groups of other girls, or just families walking around together. Smiling and laughing with each other. Then I was at my loneliest."

We sat there for a moment, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Thinking about the lives we both lived. I wondered if there was something wrong with me. I mean, even when I had a family, a loving one, with my parents and my brother. I had felt lonely; as if there was something missing. Some need for something that I was never able to find the filling to.

"So what about you?" Jubilee's voice startled me out of my thoughts.

"What about me?" I asked dumbly, not quite sure of what she was referring to.

"Well, I've been telling you all about myself. What about you? Where is your family? And why were you out in the middle of the woods by yourself bleeding? Not to mention the question of how did you save Jean from whatever those things were?"

I winced. I knew I'd have to answer these things soon enough, but I wasn't really ready to. "It's a long, long story." Was all I said.

"So? It can't be any longer than mine. We've got time."

I knew I couldn't argue with that.

"My family…" I couldn't say it. Tears pushed on my eyes and I had to blink rapidly to clear them away. I wasn't ready to talk about it. As much as I liked this girl so far, I wasn't ready to tell her about that.

"I live, or should I say _**lived**_, with my aunt Gertrude." From the look she gave me I knew she could tell that I had meant to say something else, but I was grateful that she didn't push it.

"I don't know how I did what I did in the woods. I guess it has something to do with my…mutation. I'm hoping that the Professor can tell me about it when he gets back from whatever he's doing.

As to why I was out there. Are you sure you want to know?" She nodded.

"Let's just say that when Aunt Gertrude found out I was a mutant, she didn't take too kindly to it." I stared straight ahead as I spoke. I didn't want Jubilee to see the angry, pained tears that had begun to fall down my cheeks. "She caught me using my powers, I turn pink when I use them I guess, and she freaked out. When I tried to get her to calm down, she grabbed a knife and cut at me. I blocked it with my arm so she wouldn't get my face. Then she clobbered me with a frying pan."

Jubilee placed an arm over my shoulders, hugging me gently so that he wouldn't hurt my injured shoulder. I let out a loud sigh.

"After that she called the police, and I knew I had to get out of there. So I ran." I forced a smile and turned back to her. "And that's when I ran into you guys."

She smiled at me, but behind it she looked angry.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all that. And if you ask me, your aunt isn't worth your thinking about her for another moment." She muttered something under her breath that I'd prefer not to put down here. But it made me laugh; it was nice to know you have someone out there on your side.

"Thanks Jubilee." I said, and I meant it with all my heart.

My stomach chose that time to let out a growl worthy of a gravel grinder. We both looked up at each other and started laughing. She had a very sweet laugh, higher pitched then her voice was, with a little bit of a burr to it that was interesting to listen too.

But I wasn't thinking of that at the time. What had happened wasn't that funny really. I guess it's just the way people act when they are relieved about something. For me, it felt like something had fallen into place. I wasn't sure what. But I knew it was there.

"I guess that means I'm hungry." I said, though I hadn't realized it until that moment. I was _**really**_ starving!

"Yeah, I guess so." She answered, still grinning. "Come on, I'll show you the kitchen. I missed breakfast earlier, and I'm starved too!"

She helped me off the edge of the bed, steadying me in case I had another dizzy spell. But I didn't, and I hoped that meant I was getting better.

"What about the clothes?" I asked. I didn't like leaving things lying around, I liked things in order most of the time, and it didn't feel right to leave them on the bed in a pile like that.

"Don't worry about it. I'll come down later and get them. It's not that big a deal."

I nodded reluctantly. I would have argued, but my stomach protested any wait whatsoever, and I was inclined to agree with it in this situation.

The door opened and we stepped out into a large hallway. I stopped in surprise as I looked around me.

The ceiling was very tall, at least twelve feet in height. From the door where we stood, to the opposite wall looked close to eight feet wide. All the walls were made of metal, and there were quite a few other doors to both the left and right.

Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed. Then I noticed something; there weren't any windows, anywhere. I thought that was a little strange.

Beast and Storm where standing a few feet outside the door; talking quietly to one another. When the door opened and shut and we walked out they turned toward us, smiling. But I had caught the look of worry that had been there a moment before, and I wondered if it had anything to do with the Professor's abrupt exit earlier.

"I'm glad to see that you found things that fit you Cassandra." Storm said gently.

"Yes, thank you again Ms. Munroe, I really appreciate it." I said with as much gratitude as I could.

"I'm taking Cassey upstairs to get something to eat. We're both starving!" Jubilee said, I wondered if she'd seen the look too. Her tone didn't indicate it, and I wondered if I'd imagined it.

"That's a wonderful idea Jubilee." Beast said. "The Professor has asked that Storm and I come to his office, and if you would show Ms. Cassandra around, I would be very grateful."

"Sure, I was thinking I'd do that anyway, I don't have any classes today." She said, giving me a happy grin.

"Good, then its settled." Storm said, smiling indulgently at Jubilee's excitement. Turning to me she said, "You could not be in more capable hands Cassey. I hope you do not mind."

"Not at all." It was my turn to smile at her "It sounds like fun."

"Come on, the elevators is this way." Jubilee said in a cheerful voice, turning and heading to the right. I waved toward the two teachers, and with a chuckle they headed in the opposite direction.

"Elevator?" I said, following after her and still pondering the looked I'd seen. The metal floor was cold on my bare feet, and I wished I had a pair of shoes to wear, or at least some socks.

"Yeah, the one that leads up to the ground floor. That's where the kitchen is." She said, not a care in the world. We had reached a junction where several halls met. Jubilee walked up to a large door and pressed a button on the wall that I don't think I would have been able to find if I hadn't seen her push it. It opened into a large elevator.

_Up?_ "Ground floor? Are we upstairs?"

"You mean they didn't tell you?" She said, her grin widening as if she were happy to be able to tell me some interesting secret. "This whole thing is a level underground. We have to go up to the ground floor to get to the living areas." The doors closed with a soft –_**whoos**__**h**__**-**_'.

My mouth fell open. "Underground?" I said in surprise.

"Yep, the Professor had the medical bay and the more technologically advanced areas built under the school. So it wouldn't attract a lot of attention." She continued to grin at me as the elevator doors opened again. It moved a lot faster than any elevator I'd been in before.

We stepped out and I found myself staring in wonder at the architecture around us. The elevator opened from a wall next to a staircase. The oak banister post and the rails going upward were carved in intricate curves, its dark, smooth wood polished to a brilliant shine. The carpet was a deep red going up the steps, but the rest of the floor around me was walnut colored wood.

I don't know how many of you have seen the old style Victorian houses. But if you have, than you might be able to picture what I was seeing. All of it gave off a feeling of antique beauty that was so unlike the metallic wonders I'd seen below, that it was incredible.

Toward what I thought was the front of the house, there was a set of huge mahogany doors with beveled glass windows set in them. Sunlight was streaming through them to land on the wood floor, casting dancing rainbows over its surface. Spreading out to either side of the door were windows that looked out onto a lush lawn, and then out a little further, a driveway that disappeared off to my left.

I wished I could go out there and see more, it looked like such a beautiful day outside. But right now, I knew I had more pressing matters. But I couldn't wait to be able to explore this place. It looked like what I'd always thought old houses in mystery novels would look like, and I wondered what types of fantastic secrets and stories I might find here.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Jubilee's words broke through my train of thought. I turned back to look at her.

"Yes, way beyond amazing actually." I said my voice holding a bit of wonder.

"I never can get used to it." She said. "No matter how many years I live here, it's always beautiful. I smiled at her, nodding. I had a feeling it would be the same with me if I stayed for any length of time.

I followed her around the stairs and down a hall to the left. We didn't go far before we came to an open door on the right and she went in.

I don't know if I was expecting to walk into an old fashion kitchen or not. I knew that it would be impractical, but somehow the light blue and white linoleum and brand new appliances seemed out of place in such a grand old house. The walls where painted a calmingly pastel green with a fruit border around the top.

There were three large refrigerators, two microwaves, one huge industrial oven, and two regular sized ovens. Not to mention the four toasters, three blenders, and two coffee pots that lined the blue tile counter tops.

And with all that space there was still room to have an island big enough to fit four stools on one side comfortably. There were several windows, one of which had a pretty window seat that was almost big enough to be called a couch. It was made with a light green fabric that matched the walls, and had several comfortable-looking pillows on it. I noticed a regular sized white door that led off the side of the kitchen, but I didn't pay it much attention.

All in all, the kitchen was humongous.

But after the other things I'd seen, I was able to keep my mouth closed, and the amazement to a manageable level.

Barely.

There wasn't anyone else in the kitchen, so Jubilee motioned me to one of the island seats and I sat down.

"What would you like to eat?" She said, walking over to one of the refrigerators.

"Anything is fine with me right now; I'm not a picky eater." I answered.

"Good, how does a sandwich sound?" She said as she opened the door and looked in.

"Like something heaven sent."

"Ham or turkey is all I see in here." She said as she rummaged around.

"Ham is great. I've lived off of ham, cheddar and provolone cheese sandwiches for most of my life." I said as seriously as I could.

We both laughed, and she said. "Well that's good because that's one of my favorites too."

I watched in amusement as she bent over in the fridge, mumbling to herself as she looked for something. Her head pop up a few times and she tossed a couple of packages onto the counter behind her, hardly looking at all where she threw them. I guessed that she was used to doing this.

When she had gotten everything she needed, she made two of the largest sandwiches I'd ever seen.

I grinned. "I'm glad you made them that big for both of us. I was worried about making myself look like a pig by eating a whole animal by myself."

She nodded. "Finally another girl my age who actually has an appetite!" She raised her fist in mock triumph. "I wonder how some of the other students here live on the bird-sized amounts they eat!"

She pulled a bag of chips from a cabinet and dumped some on our plates. Then she poured us each a tall glass of water and pushed my plate and glass toward me.

"You want to eat outside?" She said, and I nodded yes quickly.

She grabbed her stuff and walked to the door I'd noticed, with little difficulty, she maneuvered everything until she could turn the doorknob.

The door led to a large, open patio that had a couple of wooden tables and chairs. It was shaded by a bunch of trees that leaned in over it from either side. The effect was lovely and peaceful, I was really glad Jubilee had mentioned this.

She plopped down at the nearest table, and I took the seat opposite her so we could look at each other as we talked.

"Well, actually, I've never been a big eater." I said truthfully, continuing the conversation from inside, as I grabbed a chip, crunching thoughtfully on it. "But after my powers showed up, it's like I can't get enough."

"Ummm… You better tell that to the doc or Professor X at some point. Your mutation might have something to do with your metabolism; there are a few other students here that have gifts like that." She said, taking a bit of her sandwich. "By the way, what is your mutation anyway?"

"I'm not sure." I said between bites. "That's what I hope the Professor and Dr. McCoy can tell me. So far, I realized that I can hear things that are a long way off if I focus really hard. And somehow, like in the woods, I can go to certain places with my mind."

As I said it, it seemed a lot stranger than before.

"What about those vine things Jean said you pulled off of her? I couldn't see anything on her while we were in the woods, but she looked like she was suffocating before you showed up."

"I don't know how I did that. It was just like some part of me knew what to do. And it felt like I was talking to it somehow. But I don't even know what it was." I said with a sigh.

A thought occurred to me. "You said you can create fireworks, right?" When she nodded I said, "Can you show me?"

She grinned and a mischievous twinkle played in her eyes. Slowly, she lifted her hands up in front of her, pushing her chair back slightly so there was a bit more room between us. Then all of a sudden, a burst of colorful light shot out from her fingers in a tiny explosion. As the first one faded another one popped up to take its place.

I watched in wonder as her little light show when on for a few moments. To my further surprise, the little guy around my neck vibrated. Then he slowly began to slide down my shoulder, and out onto the table. He kept the lower part of his body wrapped around my wrist, but he rose up and stared at Jubilee, his little head twisted to one side like it had been this morning with Storm.

Jubilee was as fascinated as I was by his interest, her eyes getting big and shocked when he made his appearance. Her light show faded out slowly as she continued to look at him.

Careful not to accidentally smack him, I clapped a few times.

"That was amazing Jubilee! And I don't think I'm the only one that thinks so." I said, my voice filled with awe.

"Ummm… what is that thing?" Her voice was as filled with amazement as mine.

I looked down at him, not sure what to say. I didn't want her to be afraid of him if I told her he was the thing that had attacked her team mate. But I wasn't going to lie about this.

"You know the thing that attacked Mrs. Summers in the woods?" I said, not meeting her eyes.

"Are you saying that it's one of them?" She said, sounding surprised, but not frightened or angry. I looked up.

"Yeah, but he's not dangerous. I think the reason he attacked her was he thought she was trying to hurt him. At least that's the feeling I got from him. But he hasn't tried to hurt anyone again unless he thinks their trying to hurt me. I don't know how he came with me when I left the woods that first time, but somehow, he did."

We sat there in silence for a moment, both of us watching the little odd creature. Then all of the sudden, with a little smile Jubilee asked me,

"Can I touch him?"

I let out a sigh of relief I hadn't know I was holding. "Sure, just move really slowly. And don't look threatening." I said.

So she reached out slowly and carefully until her hand was just an inch from him. Then she gently touched the top of his little head. I tried to feel for any of the feelings of fear that I'd felt from him before. But I couldn't detect anything other than curiosity coming from him, which I took to be a good thing.

"He's soft, kind of like silk." She said. I ran my hand down the length of his back.

"You're right. I hadn't thought of it that way, but that's what he feels like." I replied.

"What's his name?" Jubilee asked, and I looked up at her.

"I haven't named him yet. I didn't really have time to think about one, with everything that's been going on."

She nodded in understanding.

"Well you'll have to come up with one soon." She stroked his head with a smile. "No one should go long without a name."

To my surprise he stood up a little further, and rubbed against her fingertips. We both giggled.

I started eating on my sandwich one-handed, no matter how interesting he was; I was still starving. As I was taking a bite of my sandwich, I watched as Jubilee took one of her chips and offer it to him. I wondered why I hadn't thought of that. I didn't even know if he actually ate anything at all.

He stared at the strange object for a moment, and then his little head turned to look at me. I felt an uncertainty playing at the back of my mind, though I had no idea why I would feel that. Then I realized it wasn't my emotion. He kept looking at me, or at least I think he was looking at me. It's hard to tell with a creature that doesn't have eyes. And then I knew that he was asking me something.

I don't know how or why I came to that conclusion, but it was like something in the back of my mind told me that was what it was. His head went from pointing at me to the chip, back and forth, back and forth.

_Ok_, I said to myself. _How does this work?_ I nodded my head at him, saying softly, "Go ahead, it's alright." All the while trying to send him affirmative thoughts. He must have caught on to what I was thinking, I still don't know today if he was responding to my thoughts, my words, or both. But he turned back to the chip at hand (get the pun?) and gently took a bite.

Now, I didn't actually see his mouth open. That's the weird thing. It was like part of the chip just touched his mouth and dissolved. I didn't see him open it, or take a bite. All either of us knew was that, part of the chip had been there, and then it wasn't.

"Man that is so cool!" Jubilee said as she held out the chip for him. "Did you see it just disappear?"

"Yeah. I didn't even know he could eat!" I said excitedly.

I think anyone looking at us at that moment, would have stared in concern at two girls getting that excited about a snake taking a bite out of a chip. But hey, we were weird. Still are actually. So sue us.

"I wonder if he'll eat anything else." I thought aloud. We glanced at each other and started taking apart what little bit we each still had of our sandwiches.

He seemed to like the bread, and he loved both kinds of cheeses. He didn't seem fond of the lettuce though; he tasted it and then backed up slightly closer to me. And it was quite obvious that he hated the tomato by the way he took one look at it and then promptly hid under my hand.

Neither of us could stop laughing at that. I wished I'd had a camera.

I couldn't remember a time when I'd felt so happy and light. As if nothing in the world could bother me. When our little pink friend seemed to have had enough, he slid slowly up my arm and curled around my neck again. The last thing I heard or felt from him for a while was a soft and contented vibration. Almost like a little sigh.

Jubilee and I sat there and finished our lunch as the afternoon wore on. We talked about different things, our favorite music, food, movies, and guys; everything that normal teenagers would talk about. I was surprised at myself for falling into something so normal, so quickly. But I was glad I had.

"Anyway, I still don't see what you see in Richard Dean Anderson." Jubilee said with a snort. "I don't see anything impressive about him."

"I feel sorry for you. How could anyone look at him and not see perfection? He is the reason they invented the word!" I said seriously, trying to keep from laughing. "Go ahead and look it up in the dictionary. In the synonym section under the word 'perfect' is his name in big letters. And right below that is Ben Browder."

We both sighed longingly at that.

"Come on." She said suddenly.

"Where?" I said in surprise.

"Well, don't you want to see the rest of the mansion?" She said, one perfectly arched eyebrow rising slightly.

"I thought you'd never ask!" I said excitedly. I wanted so much to see more of the place I'd agreed to stay in.

'Ok, let's go! Do you want to see inside or outside first?"

I looked up at the bright sunny sky, the lush lawns. The slight breeze blowing through my hair felt really good.

"Outside." I said without hesitation. And I got up to follow her.

* * *

My gosh! 22 pages people! 22 pages! I swear I haven't written that much in a month in my entire life! 

But I hope it will make up for the fact that I haven't been keeping up with this story. I had a period I was going through where I couldn't even look at it without drawing a blank.

In case you want to know, I based my little pink creation's food preferences after my youngest brother. Nobody tell him that though! I don't think he would appreciate the humor in it.

Again, I'm sorry that it took me so long. I'd forgotten how much I loved this story.

So, I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this story yet, I have some plans for it, but if anyone has any good ideas, please send them to me. And if anyone has a favorite character they think would make a good romantic interest for Cassey, I'm taking a vote on that.

One more thing and I'll let you go,

I WANT MORE REVIEWS!!!

If no one wants to read this story, I might as well not post it here anymore. So, take a moment to type in a little message. Like I've said before, I like constructive criticism too, so bring it on!

Hopefully, I'll talk to you soon!

-Psy over and out.


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